As part of Defender 25, the U.S. Army’s largest annual exercise, approximately 180 personnel from the 28th Infantry Division of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard will be deployed to Kosovo to participate in Immediate Response 25 alongside the Kosovo Security Force (KSF).

This exercise marks a critical component of the U.S. Army’s efforts to enhance readiness, demonstrate rapid strategic deployment capabilities, and reinforce cooperation with NATO allies and partners, according to the U.S. Embassy in Pristina, as reported by ​KosovaPress.

Scheduled from May 26 to June 9, Immediate Response 25 is one of the three main training events of Defender 25 and involves over 12,000 troops from the U.S., allies, and partner nations. Activities span across eight countries: Kosovo, Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Slovakia.

In Kosovo, the 28th Infantry Division and the KSF will participate in Immediate Response 25 as a division-level headquarters overseeing a multinational brigade.

Soldiers from the 28th Infantry Division, along with members of the Iowa Army National Guard and the KSF, will also take part in a national-level exercise at the Babaj Bokes Training Area (BBTA) on June 3.

This engagement supports the KSF’s comprehensive transition plan, advancing its development into a multi-ethnic, NATO-interoperable territorial defense force under civilian control.

Defender 25, led by U.S. Army Europe and Africa, includes over 25,000 troops from 29 allied and partner nations, using 14 aerial ports of embarkation in the continental United States and deploying more than 3,000 pieces of equipment across 18 host nations.

The main objective is to demonstrate the U.S. Army’s ability to rapidly move personnel and equipment from the continental United States to Europe for large-scale combat operations and to execute follow-on missions alongside allies and partners.