NATO troops face chill of combat in Arctic exercises
PBC News: Thousands of NATO troops, some with little experience of operating in snowy conditions, are learning to survive and fight in freezing temperatures in exercises above the Arctic Circle.
Up in Norway’s Far North, a group of US Marines have swapped their usual desert camouflage outfits for mountain gear, thick mittens and big white boots, AFP reports.
It is a world away from the hot and humid climate of their home base of Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
Lying in the snow on the roadside, the men and women of the Marines 2nd expeditionary force are keeping an eye on a fictitious enemy.
They’re providing cover for an extensive landing operation on the shore down the hill.
One after another, amphibious Snowcats emerge from the belly of the Rotterdam, a mammoth Dutch landing vessel. Once on the beach, each one in turn unloads tracked vehicles and other military equipment.
“If a unit can train and win in the Arctic, I believe they can win anywhere”, says Sergeant Samuel Whitehead.
But here, more than anywhere, he adds, the smallest mistake can have dire consequences.
A few days earlier, four US Marines were killed during the exercise in a plane crash in mountainous terrain, a harsh reminder of the risks of operating in challenging weather conditions.
