U.S. Army convoy to travel Eastern Europe

VILSECK , Germany, March 18 (UPI) -- With a show of force in Poland and the Baltic nations and an eye toward Russia, a U.S. Army squadron of combat vehicles is demonstrating its manpower maneuverability in March.

A convoy of 120 U.S. Army Strykers, eight-wheel-drive combat vehicles, has spent several months training in Poland with NATO allies, and will embark on a ten-day tour near the Russian border Mar. 21, stopping in a different community each night. The exercise is intended to demonstrate to Russia that U.S. forces can transport troops quickly, and to assure Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and Poland of NATO's commitment.

The exercise involves troops and equipment of the U.S. Army's 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry regiment. The Strykers will also travel through the Czech Republic as they complete a 1,100-mile tour and return to their home base at Vilseck, Germany. The vehicles are typically carried by rail.

U.S. Army Europe spokesman Greg Childs said the convoy, nicknamed "The Dragoon Ride," was "a highly visible demonstration of U.S. commitment to its NATO allies and demonstrating NATO's ability to move military forces freely across allied borders in close cooperation."