Helicopters flying around, a lot of bangs and flashes of light around the Johannes Post Barracks in Havelte. Military personnel are working hard to eliminate an enemy there. Despite it being an exercise, they take their job very seriously.
Because with the war in Ukraine, the Falcon Autumn exercise is more topical than ever. “In fact, we have a Polish company with us,” explains Lieutenant Colonel Laurens van Leussen. He is from the brigade in Assen and has been practicing with his men and women for almost two weeks. “That group is a lot more to the east than we are, so it’s definitely alive. And of course you get the news too. So we know we can be deployed, so we have to be ready.”