Training to Win at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center

HOHENFELS, Germany — In the dense forests and rolling terrain of the Joint Multinational Readiness Center, opposing forces are not just part of the exercise - they are the fight.

During exercise Combined Resolve 26-07, the JMRC delivers a realistic and demanding training environment by employing a well trained opposing force (OPFOR) that replicates near-peer adversaries. Using modern tactics, equipment and doctrine, OPFOR challenges rotational units to operate in a complex, large-scale combat environment where success depends on adaptability, coordination, and speed.

“The beauty of JMRC is they have a world-class opposition force on the other side of this fight,” said Col. Michael E. Ziegelhofer, Commander of 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. “They are a living, breathing, thinking enemy who has been given all the capabilities that we’d expect to face in a fight.”

As the U.S. Army’s only combat training center outside the continental United States, JMRC provides more than just training space - it delivers a forward, theater-aligned capability that prepares units for the realities of large-scale combat operations against near-peer threats. By integrating live, virtual, and constructive training, JMRC creates an operational environment that reflects the complexity of modern warfare.

The multinational aspect of JMRC further enhances the training experience. Allied and partner forces are fully integrated into exercise scenarios, allowing U.S. Soldiers to train alongside allies and partners and gain firsthand experience with different tactics, techniques, and procedures.

“One of the things, as we are coming together, is to develop that interoperability with partners,” said Ziegelhofer.

Exercise Combined Resolve 26-07 enables participating units to refine existing capabilities while developing new, battlefield-critical skills. The combination of a capable OPFOR, experienced OC/Ts and multinational integration reinforces the Army’s ability to build combat-credible forces prepared for unified land operations.

The main training audience participating is the 3rd Brig., 1st Cav. Div., currently concluding a nine-month rotational deployment in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve across Poland, Lithuania, and Estonia. As a regionally aligned force, the brigade provides a visible and credible deterrent presence in Eastern Europe, strengthening NATO alliances and promoting regional stability.

Participation in Combined Resolve serves as the brigade’s culminating training event, validating its readiness following months of multinational operations and exercises throughout the region. Upon completion, the unit will redeploy with enhanced readiness and a deeper understanding of operating in a complex, near-peer environment.

At JMRC, the fight is designed to be as close to reality as possible - because when it matters most, there are no second chances.