How many #DefenderEurope troops does it take to clear fallen trees from a road? US & British troops show master class!

US and British troops shared a bonding experience over fallen trees (or one tree, judging by the photo evidence) at a barracks in western Germany — and took to social media to take full advantage of the optics.

Photographs of the comradely moment were tweeted by the US’ 16th Sustainment Brigade, which describes itself as “providing logistical support all across the European Theater.”

Out of adversity comes strength — and the challenge of assisting British allies in “clearing fallen trees from a vehicle” did indeed provide an opportunity to “strengthen relations,” the post said. It even used the hashtag #WeForgeAhead.

While the post mentions trees, there appears to be only one tree causing a problem. 

Nevertheless, soldiers from the 317th Support Maintenance Company and 18th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion were on the scene at the Convoy Support Center Ayrshire.

A Facebook post on the incident gave a little more information, saying that the 'Wolfpack maintainers' are "preparing elements from 1st Cavalry Division to finish the journey" for Defender Europe 2020.

The first contingent of US troops began arriving in Germany for the 'Defender Europe 20' military exercises in late February, for what will be the biggest deployment of US-based forces in Europe for more than 25 years. 

The exercises are expected to last about five months, taking place mostly in Germany, Poland and the Baltic states. US European Command said in October that the mission aims to "to build readiness within the [NATO] alliance and deter potential adversaries."

The exercises have sparked some protests in Germany, where activists are concerned by the sheer amount of military equipment being brought into the country, with some viewing it as a clear provocation against Russia.

In this context, it appears that the heartwarming tree-clearing incident could simply be a photo op designed to quell fears and combat Germans’ skepticism about the mass military exercises.

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