Maj. Gen. Vyacheslav Nazarkin (center), Ukrainian co-director of Rapid Trident 2011 addresses local Ukrainian press following the opening ceremony for Rapid Trident 2011 with Kevin Volk (right), U.S. co-director of the exercise representing U.S. Army Europe.

Rapid Trident is a joint training and exercise program designed to enhance interoperability among Ukraine, the U.S. and Partnership for Peace member nations. This exercise will help prepare participants to operate successfully in a joint, multi-national, integrated environment with host-nation support from civil and government agencies.

Rapid Trident 2011 involves approximately 1,600 personnel and will consist of multi-national airborne operations, situational training exercise lanes and a field training exercise. In addition to U.S. Army Europe, the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team and Ukraine, participants include: Latvia, Belarus, Moldova, Slovenia, Canada, Poland, Serbia, the UK, Lithuania, Estonia, California and Utah National Guard and U.S. Air Force Europe.