Soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division and Royal Army soldiers from 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment board C-17 Globemaster III's leaving from Pope Air Force Base on 7 May 2021 on their way to DEFENDER-Europe 21. DEFENDER-Europe 21 is large-scale U.S. Army-led exercise designed to build readiness and interoperability between the U.S., NATO allies and partner militaries. This year, more than 30,000 multinational forces from 26 nations will conduct nearly simultaneous operations across more than 30 training areas in 14 countries from the Baltics to the strategically important Balkans and Black Sea region.