Cold Weather Military Training

Military personnel engaged in cold weather training exercises focused on winter tactics and survival skills in snowy environments.

Richard Johnson, a combat artist with the Marine Corps Combat Art Program illustrates Marines during cold weather training in preparation for the NATO exercise Nordic Response 2024 in Setermoen, Norway, Feb. 7, 2024. Nordic Response is a Norwegian national readiness and defense exercise designed to enhance military capabilities and allied cooperation in high-intensity warfighting in a challenging arctic environment. This exercise will test military activities ranging from the reception of allied and partner reinforcements and command and control interoperability to combined joint operations, maritime prepositioning force logistics, integration with NATO militaries, and reacting against an adversary force during a dynamic training environment. The U.S. stands firm in commitment and readiness to support Norway, allies and partners. Marine Corps

Richard Johnson, a combat artist with the Marine Corps Combat Art Program illustrates Marines during cold weather training in preparation for the NATO exercise Nordic Response 2024 in Setermoen, Norway, Feb. 7, 2024. Nordic Response is a Norwegian national readiness and defense exercise designed to enhance military capabilities and allied cooperation in high-intensity warfighting in a challenging arctic environment. This exercise will test military activities ranging from the reception of allied and partner reinforcements and command and control interoperability to combined joint operations, maritime prepositioning force logistics, integration with NATO militaries, and reacting against an adversary force during a dynamic training environment. The U.S. stands firm in commitment and readiness to support Norway, allies and partners. Marine Corps

040206-M-8205V-012. Base: Ojojibara State: Tohoku Country: Japan (JPN)

POLAND Task Force Saber is currently conducting single-ship Aerial Gunnery in Poland, Tables IV-VI. This is the first time U.S. Army Apache Aerial Gunnery has been conducted on this range. During Aerial Gunnery, Apache crews will engage a number of targets utilizing different weapon systems. The unit incorporated Polish Joint Terminal Air Controllers (JTACs) into their exercise. This training increases the units lethality and readiness with the Polish armed forces.

Airmen with multiple Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve security forces units learn squad tactics pulling an ahkio sled Jan. 18, 2023, as part of a 16-day Cold-Weather Operations Course led by the Air Force at Fort McCoy, Wis. More than 50 Airmen are participating in the training from across the Air Force. Besides learning about use of snowshoes and moving as a squad over terrain pulling an ahkio sled in a cold-weather environment, the Airmen also learned about cold-weather shelters, survival techniques, cold-weather uniform wear, and more. Fort McCoy has a long history of supporting cold-weather training. Eighty years prior to this training, in January 1943, the installation hosted winter training for the Army's 76th Division prior to the Division deploying to Europe to fight in the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Patrick Pettus, a special warfare mission support (SWMS) Airman assigned to Detachment 1, 3rd Air Support Operations Squadron, lands on Geronimo Drop Zone during airborne training at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, April 7, 2022. Special warfare Airmen from Detachment 1, 3rd ASOS, and Detachment 3, 1st Combat Weather Squadron, supported by Alaska Army National Guard aircrew from B Company, 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion, conducted the training to demonstrate airborne and mission-readiness skills in an arctic environment.

Staff. Sgt. Benjamin Rimatzki, left, a military police officer with the 46th Military Police Company, Michigan Army National Guard, and Army Capt. Nicholas Fiebke, left, with Joint Force Headquarters, Michigan National Guard, engage a team with the 5th Special Forces Group while in the role of the opposing forces during Northern Strike 24-1 at Camp Grayling Maneuver Training Center, Michigan, Jan. 21, 2024. Northern Strike 24-1 is the winter warfare component of the annual National Guard Bureau-sponsored Northern Strike exercise series. Held at the Michigan National Guards National All-Domain Warfighting Center, which includes Camp Grayling Maneuver Training Center, and the Alpenna Combat Training Center, the regions snow, winds and often single digit temperatures help units develop capabilities required to operate in arctic-like conditions.

Clearing the instumentation from the tower of ice with a plastic mallet

Nearing the end of the journey, SENIOR AIRMAN Patrick Walker, 341 CS/SCX, guides his team's toboggan down a long road. Apparently one of the team members has dropped out. Moving through the snow with a full ruck, weapon, and pulling a toboggan while wearing heavy clothes to protect from the subzero temperatures proves to be physically taxing, and in the cold weather it's easy to forget to keep drinking fluids to avoid dehydration. The exercise is a Canadian military winter operations indoctrination course. Subject Operation/Series: INCLEMENT WANDERER Base: Camp Worthington State: Alberta (AB) Country: Canada (CAN)

General Dynamics F-16B on the Flightline of Leeuwarden airbase in the early morning in a snowy landscape.

Members of the West Virginia National Guard conduct road clearing and debris removal operations Feb. 18, 2021, in Putnam County, West Virginia. A large winter storm system left more than 90,000 West Virginians without electric throughout the region and Guard members were mobilized to assist local emergency management officials in those counties hardest hit.

Sgt. 1st Class Todd Teuling, noncommissioned officer in charge of opposing forces during exercise Northern Strike 24-1, conceals himself behind a junked vehicle while watching for Soldiers with the 5th Special Forces Group who were patrolling the area Teuling and his team were defending during Northern Strike 24-1 at Camp Grayling Maneuver Training Center, Michigan, Jan. 21, 2024. Northern Strike 24-1 is the winter warfare component of the annual National Guard Bureau-sponsored Northern Strike exercise series. Held at the Michigan National Guards National All-Domain Warfighting Center, which includes Camp Grayling Maneuver Training Center, and the Alpenna Combat Training Center, the regions snow, winds and often single digit temperatures help units develop capabilities required to operate in arctic-like conditions.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Joseph Jenkins, a fire protection specialist assigned to the 673d Civil Engineer Squadron, pulls a fellow firefighter out of the water during ice rescue training at Six Mile Lake on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Jan. 8, 2023. After completing a classroom course, the JBER firefighters took to the ice to test their skills in a series of scenarios designed to simulate real-world rescues. The firefighters received certifications as ice rescue technicians having qualified in the skills needed to conduct ice rescue and recovery efforts in extreme cold-weather environments.

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Matthew Jensen, 720th Special Tactics Group SERE specialist, cuts a tree during survival training during Northern Strike 23-1, Jan. 25, 2023, at Camp Grayling, Mich. Northern Strikes winter iteration serves as a cost effective way for units across the Department of Defense to conduct cold-weather, joint all-domain operations.

Training operations are shown at Fort McCoy, Wis., on Jan. 18, 2024. During January 2024, thousands of troops trained at Fort McCoy to start off 2024.

A U.S. Marine with 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, conducts an ice break drill that trains Marines to be able to get them selves out of freezing waters during Cold Weather Training in preparation for the NATO exercise Nordic Response 2024 in Setermoen, Norway, Feb. 10, 2024. Nordic Response is a Norwegian national readiness and defense exercise designed to enhance military capabilities and allied cooperation in high-intensity warfighting in a challenging arctic environment. This exercise will test military activities ranging from the reception of allied and partner reinforcements and command and control interoperability to combined joint operations, maritime prepositioning force logistics, integration with NATO militaries, and reacting against an adversary force during a dynamic training environment. The U.S. stands firm in commitment and readiness to support Norway, allies and partners. Marine Corps

U.S. East-Coast based Naval Special Warfare Operators (SEALs) and Norwegian Naval Special Operations Commandos conduct land-based arctic mobility interoperability training in an extreme Arctic environment in Utqiagvik, Alaska, Feb. 27, 2024, during Arctic Edge 24. AE24 is an annual defense exercise for the U.S. Northern Command emphasizing Joint Force operations in an extreme cold weather and high latitude environment and is designed to demonstrate Globally Integrated Layered Defense in the Arctic. Navy

U.S. Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 2, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, hike to a campsite as part of Marine Rotational Forces Europe 23.1 in Setermoen, Norway Feb. 15, 2023. MRF-E focuses on regional engagements throughout Europe by conducting various exercises, mountain-warfare training, and military-to- military engagements which enhance overall interoperability of the U.S. Marine Corps with allies and partners.

Staff. Sgt. Benjamin Rimatzki, left, a military police officer with the 46th Military Police Company, Michigan Army National Guard, and Army Capt. Nicholas Fiebke, left, with Joint Force Headquarters, Michigan National Guard, engage a team with the 5th Special Forces Group while in the role of the opposing forces during Northern Strike 24-1 at Camp Grayling Maneuver Training Center, Michigan, Jan. 21, 2024. Northern Strike 24-1 is the winter warfare component of the annual National Guard Bureau-sponsored Northern Strike exercise series. Held at the Michigan National Guards National All-Domain Warfighting Center, which includes Camp Grayling Maneuver Training Center, and the Alpenna Combat Training Center, the regions snow, winds and often single digit temperatures help units develop capabilities required to operate in arctic-like conditions.

Army Capt. Nicholas Fiebke, with Joint Force Headquarters, Michigan National Guard, rests after engaging a team with the 5th Special Forces Group while in the role of the opposing forces during Northern Strike 24-1 at Camp Grayling Maneuver Training Center, Michigan, Jan. 21, 2024. Northern Strike 24-1 is the winter warfare component of the annual National Guard Bureau-sponsored Northern Strike exercise series. Held at the Michigan National Guards National All-Domain Warfighting Center, which includes Camp Grayling Maneuver Training Center, and the Alpenna Combat Training Center, the regions snow, winds and often single digit temperatures help units develop capabilities required to operate in arctic-like conditions.

Research Scientists and Staff Train in Survival Techniques

A U.S. Army paratrooper assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division, looks across a snow-filled landing zone during Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center-Alaska 23-02 at Yukon Training Area, Ft. Wainwright, Alaska, March 28, 2023. With more than 8,000 participants and observers from 12 different countries, JPMRC-AK 23-02s multinational environment helps increase Arctic proficiency throughout the Army and the joint force, in support of the nations, and the Armys Arctic strategy.

WEST ROXBURY, Mass. - Soldiers from the Massachusetts National Guards 379th Engineer Company of Buzzards Bay, Mass clear snow caused by Winter Storm Neptune at Bellevue Station, here on Feb. 16th, 2015. The guardsmen assisted the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority and the department of public works in clearing station parking and reducing the size of snow banks.

U.S. Airmen from the 290th Joint Communications Support Squadron set up a tent Feb. 7, 2023, at Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, Michigan. The Airmen are performing two weeks of annual training in a cold weather environment. The tent will provide a space to stay warm during cold weather training.

010124-F-6701P-001. Base: Osan Air Base Country: Republic Of Korea (KOR)

240122-N-LR905-2134LITTLE FALLS, Minn. (Jan. 22, 2024) - A U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Technician stows survival gear during Arctic survival training in Little Falls, Minnesota, Jan. 22, as part of Snow Crab Exercise 24-1. SNOWCRABEX is an annual exercise designed to test and evaluate U.S. Navy EOD and Navy Divers capabilities and equipment in a simulated arctic environment and improve combat effectiveness. Navy EOD and Navy Divers are part of the Navy Expeditionary Combat Force (NECF), enabling the U.S. Navy Fleet by clearing and protecting the battlespace.

240122-N-LR905-2044LITTLE FALLS, Minn. (Jan. 22, 2024) - U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Technicians use snowmobiles for land navigation during Arctic mobility training in Little Falls, Minnesota, Jan. 22, as part of Snow Crab Exercise 24-1. SNOWCRABEX is an annual exercise designed to test and evaluate U.S. Navy EOD and Navy Divers capabilities and equipment in a simulated arctic environment and improve combat effectiveness. Navy EOD and Navy Divers are part of the Navy Expeditionary Combat Force (NECF), enabling the U.S. Navy Fleet by clearing and protecting the battlespace.

U.S. Marines with 3d Battalion, 3d Marines, 3d Marine Division, conduct a tactical movement at Mountain Warfare Training Center, Bridgeport, Calif., Jan. 20, 2022. 3/3 conducted winter survival training, winter terrain mobility training, and built defensive positions as part of Mountain Warfare Training Exercise 2-22 in order to increase combat lethality and readiness. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Patrick King)

240122-N-LR905-2136LITTLE FALLS, Minn. (Jan. 22, 2024) - A U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Technician stows survival gear during Arctic survival training in Little Falls, Minnesota, Jan. 22, as part of Snow Crab Exercise 24-1. SNOWCRABEX is an annual exercise designed to test and evaluate U.S. Navy EOD and Navy Divers capabilities and equipment in a simulated arctic environment and improve combat effectiveness. Navy EOD and Navy Divers are part of the Navy Expeditionary Combat Force (NECF), enabling the U.S. Navy Fleet by clearing and protecting the battlespace.

040211-M-8205V-007. Subject Operation/Series: FOREST LIGHT 2004 Base: Ojojibara State: Sendai Country: Japan (JPN)

A U.S. Army Soldier from the 20th Special Forces Group, Massachusetts Army National Guard, digs a shelter during Northern Strike 22-1, at Camp Grayling, Mich., Jan. 22, 2022. The winter iteration of the Northern Strike exercise series, known as Winter Strike, is held annually in northern Michigan during the coldest part of the year, so visiting units can train in subarctic conditions. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Tristan D. Viglianco)

A U.S. Marine Takes Aim in a Winter Blizzard

Two men set up camp in the deep snow on Mt. Washington.

Italian Army snipers of Alpini corps during mountain winter training.

New York Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade dig out fire hydrants in Valatie, N.Y. on Dec. 3, 2019 as the village dug out from a major snow storm which hit the region on Dec. 1 and 2. New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo placed National Guard Soldiers and Airmen on duty to help local communities recover from the storm.

230208-N-YR675-1725 LITTLE FALLS, Minn. (Feb. 8, 2023) -- U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Technicians assigned to EOD Mobile Unit Two and Battalion staff from EOD Expeditionary Support Unit Two operate snowmobiles during Arctic mobility training in Little Falls, Minnesota, Feb. 8, 2023 during Snow Crab Exercise 23-1, an exercise designed to test and evaluate U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposals (EOD) and Navy Divers capabilities and equipment in a simulated Arctic environment and improve combat effectiveness. Navy EOD and Navy Divers are part of the Navy Expeditionary Combat Force (NECF), enabling the U.S. Navy Fleet by clearing and protecting the battlespace.

040206-M-8205V-011. Base: Ojojibara State: Tohoku Country: Japan (JPN)

An Air National Guard Security Forces specialist participates in a cold-water immersion as part of the Air National Guard's Security Forces Cold Weather Operations Course (CWOC) at Camp Ripley Training Center, Minnesota, on January 18, 2024. The two-week CWOC course combined classroom instruction, outdoor skills development, and a 3-day, field training event that required students to build and sleep in arctic tent systems, subsisting on cold weather Meals Ready to Eat and incorporated land navigation, live saving skills, and cold water immersion events. 50 students from Air National Guard wings from across the U.S. participated in the advanced, cold weather survival course planned by personnel assigned to the 148th Fighter Wing, Minnesota Air National Guard.

Fire brigade insert in dense snow driven fire brigade use in dense snow copyright: xzoonar.com/martinaxbergx 7748731

U.S. East-Coast based Naval Special Warfare Operators (SEALs) and Norwegian Naval Special Operations Commandos package a simulated patient and prepare to transport them to a medical tent during arctic survival training in extreme weather conditions during Arctic Edge 2024 in Utqiagvik, Alaska, Feb. 25, 2024. AE24 is an annual defense exercise for the U.S. Northern Command emphasizing Joint Force operations in an extreme cold weather and high latitude environment and is designed to demonstrate Globally Integrated Layered Defense in the Arctic. Navy

A posted list of Japanese weapons during a display by the Japanese Army Self Defense Force (JASDF) at Camp Engaru, in support of Exercise FOREST LIGHT II 2003. Base: Camp Engaru State: Hokkaido Country: Japan (JPN)

Two snow-covered USAF M923A1 Cargo (6x6) 5 ton Trucks are parked along an ice and snow-covered road. The M923A1 in the foreground has a generator system resting on its uncovered cargo area and IFOR markings, and the M923A1 in the background has its cargo area covered. The generator supplies power to the Tactical Air Control Party (TACP), 2 ASOS, that is supporting forces involved in Operation Joint Guard. Operation Joint Guard is a peacekeeping effort by a multinational Implementation Force (IFOR), comprised of NATO and non-NATO military forces, deployed to Bosnia in support of the Dayton Peace Accords. Subject Operation/Series: JOINT GUARD Country: Bosnia And/I Herzegovina (BIH)

Firefighters with the Directorate of Emergency Services Fire Department conduct ice rescue training Jan. 11, 2023, at a frozen Big Sandy Lake on South Post at Fort McCoy, Wis. Several firefighters with the team took their turn getting in a suit, strapping an air tank and full-face mask, and diving into the depths of Big Sandy Lake under the ice on Fort McCoys South Post. The divers were covering depths of up to 15 feet or more completing several types of rescue scenarios under the guidance of fellow firefighters. Divers took turns going in and out of the same hole that was cut in the ice. Each diver was tethered with a connecting line that included a communications connection. This is an annual requirement for dive team members to maintain their abilities.

GRAYLING, Mich. - U.S. Army Soldiers from the 173rd Engineer Battalion, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Wisconsin National Guard, build a forward operating base with multi-layered defense during Northern Strike 22-1 on January 21, 2022. Winter Strike is a National Guard Bureau sponsored exercise which unites service members from several U.S. states and partner forces from Jan. 21-30, 2022, at Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center and Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, Michigan, which together comprise the National All-Domain Warfighting Center (NADWC) (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Tegan Kucera).

U.S. Navy ground support personnel ready a sled-mounted air pump during Operation Deep Freeze '80. Subject Operation/Series: DEEP FREEZE '80 Base: Mcmurdo Station Country: Antarctica (ATA)

060228-A-3733B-007. Subject Operation/Series: NOBLE SHEPHERD Base: Hohenfels State: Bavaria Country: Deutschland / Germany (DEU) Scene Major Command Shown: TF 1-26, 2ND BCT

A practice area for simulated flightline repair operations being utilized by members of the 114th Civil Engineer Squadron during the Lobo Trident exercise in Hector Field March 29, 2023. Hector Field was set up as a simulated forward operating station in a friendly country in order to give Airmen a chance to practice wartime emergency operations and communications in a remote location.

Special Warfare Tactical Air Control Party Airmen with the 124th Fighter Wings Air Support Operations Squadron participate in cold weather survival training at Cascade Lake in Donnelly, Idaho, February 7, 2024. Through cold water submersion, The 124th ASOS members are able to push themselves to the limits and learn valuable skills. Air National Guard

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Benjamin Roberson, a motor vehicle operator with Combat Logistics Battalion 2, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, conducts an ice breaker drill as part of Marine Rotational Forces Europe 23.1 in Setermoen, Norway Feb. 9, 2023. MRF-E focuses on regional engagements throughout Europe by conducting various exercises, mountain-warfare training, and military-to- military engagements which enhance overall interoperability of the U.S. Marine Corps with allies and partners.

020305-F-8210K-004. State: Minnesota (MN) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A crater being prepared for members of the 114th Civil Engineer Squadron to exercise their skills in rapid runway repair during the Lobo Trident exercise at Hector Field, North Dakota on March 27, 2023. Hector Field was set up as a simulated forward operating station in a friendly country in order to give Airmen a chance to practice wartime emergency operations and communications in a remote location.

U.S. Marines and Sailors assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 6, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, set up battalion aid station and shock trauma platoons medical tents during Medical Reindeer a medical exercise in part of Nordic Response 24 in Setermeon, Norway, Feb. 12, 2024. Medical Reindeer is a multinational medical exercise in support of field training during Exercise Nordic Response 24 in order to strengthen and improve medical interoperability between NATO Allies and partners within the European theater. Exercise Nordic Response, formerly known as Cold Response, is a NATO training event conducted every two years to promote military competency in arctic environments and to foster interoperability between the U.S. Marine Corps and allied nations. Marine Corps

The construction area for a future transient training brigade headquarters in the 1600 block on the cantonment area is shown Dec. 9, 2022, in snowy conditions at Fort McCoy, Wis. A contract, totaling $11,964,432.87, was awarded June 9, 2022, to L.S. Black Constructors to build the fiscal year 2022 Transient Training Brigade Headquarters project at Fort McCoy. Construction operations began in August 2022. Location of construction is just across the street from where the same contractor has been building two new transient training troop barracks buildings in the same block. According to the Army Corps of Engineers, which is managing the project, the brigade headquarters project is based on the denser, more consolidated footprints of Fort McCoys Troop Housing Area Development Plan which states fewer, multiple story buildings allow facilities/functions to be sited closer together, allowing for a more walkable training environment, as well as saving money on utilities. The smaller footprint

U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class William Baldwin, a corpsman with Bravo Battery, 2nd Low Altitude Air Defense (LAAD) Battalion, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, uses ski poles to pull himself out of water during an ice-breaker drill in preparation for Exercise Nordic Response 24 at Setermoen, Norway, Feb. 1, 2024. Exercise Nordic Response, formerly known as Cold Response, is a NATO training event conducted every two years to promote military competency in arctic environments and to foster interoperability between the U.S. Marine Corps and allied nations. Marine Corps

A Tactical Resupply Vehicle 150 unmanned aircraft system operated by U.S. Marines with Combat logistics Battalion 6, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, carries medical supplies to resupply a Norwegian Shock Trauma Platoon during Medical Reindeer, a medical exercise held prior to Nordic Response 24 in Setermeon, Norway, Feb. 14, 2024. Medical Reindeer is a multinational medical exercise in support of field training during Exercise Nordic Response 24 in order to strengthen and improve medical interoperability between NATO Allies and partners within the European theater. Exercise Nordic Response, formerly known as Cold Response, is a NATO training event conducted every two years to promote military competency in arctic environments and to foster interoperability between the U.S. Marine Corps and allied nations. Marine Corps

The sign at the main entrance to Fort Wainwright welcomes participants of exercise BRIM FROST '83. Subject Operation/Series: BRIM FROST '83 Base: Fort Wainwright State: Alaska (AK) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Canadian and US Soldiers from both the 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Light Infantry and 2nd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division plan fire missions by moonlight after getting data from a Raven RQ-11B unmanned aerial vehicle they launched earlier in Yukon Training Area during Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center-Alaska 23-02. The Arctic is unforgiving and requires deliberate, purposeful leaders who are meticulous in their planning and approach to their warfighting, and JPMRC-AK 23-02 is key to testing the divisions leaders and soldiers.

176th Wing members performed an aerial damage assessment in a C-130J "Combat King II" Nov. 30, 2018, over Southcentral, Alaska, following the earthquake that hit the Anchorage and Matanuska-Susitna Valley areas. In a matter of hours, members of the Alaska Air National Guard's Maintenance and Operation groups turned a planned community engagement into an aerial survey of earthquake damage, reporting findings to the State of Alaska's Joint Operations Center.

Two U.S. Air Force CV-22B Ospreys with the 352d Special Operations Wing and two Finnish NH90 helicopters with the Utti Jaeger Regiment Helicopter Battalion prepare to land during a bilateral exercise in Northern Finland, March 30, 2023. U.S. forces and our partner and ally nations hone skills, fine-tune interoperability, nurture key relationships, and acclimate to inherent challenges posed by the Arctics extreme cold weather conditions by training in the High North.

Russian support personnel work to help get crew members out of the Soyuz TMA-01M spacecraft shortly after the capsule landed with Expedition 26 Commander Scott Kelly and Flight Engineers Oleg Skripochka and Alexander Kaleri near the town of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan on Wednesday, March 16, 2011. NASA Astronaut Kelly, Russian Cosmonauts Skripochka and Kaleri are returning from almost six months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 25 and 26 crews.

Firefighters from the Fort Drum Fire and Emergency Services navigate through bone-chilling waters to reach a victim during annual ice rescue training Jan. 26 on post. (Photo by Mike Strasser, Fort Drum Garrison Public Affairs)

Aviation ordnancemen of Patrol Squadron 10 (VP-10) position a munitions trailer beneath the wing of a P-3 Orion anti-submarine aircraft to load Mark 82 500-pound bombs. Base: Naval Air Station, Brunswick State: Maine(ME) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Border patrol guards at the small village of Nuijamaa, around 3 hours drive from Helsinki, another land border crossing between Finland and Russia, where the two countries are seperated by water, by a canal.

The U.S. flag is shown in front of garrison headquarters Dec. 9, 2022, during daily operations in a snow storm at Fort McCoy, Wis. The installation received several inches of snow Dec. 9, causing a winter weather advisory to be placed for the post. Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin. The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984. Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching usagmccoy.”

110222-N-TB177-549ATLANTIC OCEAN (Feb. 22, 2011) Sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) participate in a scrubbing exercise on the ship's flight deck. George H.W. Bush is underway in the Atlantic Ocean conducting training operations.

The U.S. flag is shown in front of garrison headquarters Dec. 9, 2022, during daily operations in a snow storm at Fort McCoy, Wis. The installation received several inches of snow Dec. 9, causing a winter weather advisory to be placed for the post. Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin. The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984. Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching usagmccoy.”

U.S. Marines with 2d Marine Division and 2d Marine Logistics Group enhance their skiing abilities during the NATO Cold Weather Instructor Course (NCWIC) in Innset, Norway, Nov. 26, 2022. NCWIC is a course designed to develop Marines and other service members to be instructors of cold weather survival training in preparation for future deployments.

Soldiers from A Co. 103rd Brigade Support Battalion cut down trees overhanging the roadways caused by the damaging ice storm that hit the commonwealth Jan. 29. Approximately 500 Kentucky National Guardsmen were mobilized in response to the storm to assist in clearing roadways, transporting supplies and securing shelters throughout the state of Kentucky.

GREAT LAKES, Ill. (Nov. 27, 2018) A recruit marches from one training location to the next at Recruit Training Command. More than 30,000 recruits graduate annually from the Navy's only boot camp.

Crewchiefs from the 114th Maintenance Squadron assemble tents during the Lobo Trident exercise in Hector Field March 28, 2023. Hector Field was set up as a simulated forward operating station in a friendly country in order to give Airmen a chance to practice wartime emergency operations and communications in a remote location.

Els Enfarinats flour fight, rebels, armed with flour, eggs and firecrackers, take over the regiment of the city for one day, Plaza de la Iglesia, Ibi, Province of Alicante, Costa Blanca, Spain, Europe

040127-N-5362A-002. Base: Marine Corps Air Station,Miramar State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

War album 106, picture 32477.

Paratroopers from the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division move around the area on snowmachines at sunset April 2, 2023, during exercise Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center-Alaska 23-02 in the Yukon Training Area, Alaska. (Army photo/John Pennell)

Staff Sgt. Giovanni DeZuani, a flight paramedic with the 1/230th Assault Helicopter Battalion, and the patient are hoisted to the helicopter with Sgt. 1st Class Tracy Banta, also a flight paramedic with the 1/230th AHB tending the tag-line to keep them steady during a rescue mission from Silers Bald Shelter in the Great Smoky Mountains on April 7.

Volunteers participate in the Wreaths Across America annual removal of wreaths, commonly known as Wreaths Out, in Section 33 at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., Jan. 20, 2024. This year, nearly 3,000 volunteers removed approximately 260,000 wreaths originally placed at ANC on Dec. 16, 2023.

Shot of Government Ordance Facility #9 is located in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, during Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR. Subject Operation/Series: JOINT ENDEAVOR Base: Tuzla Country: Bosnia And/I Herzegovina (BIH)

150127-Z-JM688-065

US Air Force Airmen from the 256th Combat Communications Squadron from Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, setup field communication gear for the headquarters element at NORTHERN EDGE 2000 at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. Subject Operation/Series: NORTHERN EDGE 2000 Base: Elmendorf Air Force Base State: Alaska (AK) Country: United States Of America (USA)

220104-N-YS140-006Fort Pickett, Va. (Jan. 04, 2022) An Afghan evacuee awaits her turn to board a bus and depart for the airport. Over 150 evacuees departed today to resettle, with approximately 3,000 remaining. Over half of the evacuees that came to Fort Pickett have been resettled. The Department of Defense, through U.S. Northern Command, and in support of the Department of Homeland Security, is providing transportation, temporary housing, medical screening, and general support for at least 50,000 Afghan evacuees at suitable facilities, in permanent or temporary structures, as quickly as possible. This initiative provides Afghan personnel essential support at secure locations outside Afghanistan.

Navy construction battalion personnel use fork lift trucks to transport bombs to be housed in berms constructed in the desert during Operation Desert Shield.. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT SHIELD Country: Saudi Arabia(SAU)

FDNY World Trade Center Attack Aftermath, September 2001 New York City, USA

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Lorelei Bretz, a native of Oregon and a motor transport operator with Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 273, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, guides a medium tactical-vehicle replacement to receive equipment from the New Amsterdam, a medium Roll-on Roll-off ship operated by the Royal Netherlands Navy, in preparation for Exercise Nordic Response 24 at Risoyhamn, Norway, Feb. 18, 2024. Exercise Nordic Response, formerly known as Cold Response, is a NATO training event conducted every two years to promote military competency in arctic environments and to foster interoperability between the U.S. Marine Corps and allied nations. Marine Corps

Field Training Officer Jonathan Stephens with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Emergency Services Police Department drives a police cruiser Jan. 31, 2023, on the cantonment area at Fort McCoy, Wis. Stephens was out patrolling during a morning with frigid below-zero temperatures. He was among many officers working in cold weather and among the many Fort McCoy police officers who work around the clock protecting the installation no matter what the weather brings.

An area of Fort McCoy, Wis., can be seen covered in snow Dec. 9, 2022, after several inches of snow fell. During the day Dec. 9, 2022, approximately 3-4 inches of snow blanketed the installation in snow, leaving a wintry scene all across the post.

Airmen from the 410th Bombardment Wing secure aerospace ground equipment to a flatbed trailer for transport to a simulated aircraft recovery area during a wing mobility exercise. Base: K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base State: Michigan(MI) Country: United States Of America(USA)

Sgt. 1st Class Tim McLaughlin, instructor, U.S. Army Mountain Warfare School, Vermont Army National Guard, leads the development team in a skiborne exfil during a training day for the 2023 Edelweiss Raid, Feb. 26, 2023, Austria.

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Dayln Grubb, left, 48th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle maintenance technician from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, and Senior Airman Jose Sanchez, right, 48th LRS vehicle maintenance technician, stand in front of a deicer truck at Ämari Air Base, Estonia, Jan. 29, 2022. Members of the 48th Fighter Wing deployed to Ämari AB to support a NATO enhanced Air Policing mission and practice agile combat employment concepts. European partners and U.S. forces continue to conduct engagements and multinational exercises to enhance interoperability and improve regional cooperation and security. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Megan M. Beatty)

U.S. Marine Corps Col. Paul C. Merida, commanding officer of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, visits the Allied Training Center in Setermoen, Norway, April 14, 2022. U.S. Marines are training in Norway to strengthen relationships between NATO and Allied forces and develop and maintain critical military capabilities.

An area of Fort McCoy, Wis., can be seen covered in snow Dec. 9, 2022, after several inches of snow fell. During the day Dec. 9, 2022, approximately 3-4 inches of snow blanketed the installation in snow, leaving a wintry scene all across the post.

Members of the 1ST Battalion, 2nd Marines Landing Team are trained in the art of skiing. They are a part of the 26th Marine Amphibious Unit which is participating in Exercise Alpine Warrior '82. Subject Operation/Series: ALPINE WARRIOR '82 Base: Valchatel Ski Resort State: Minnesota (MN) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S. Army Soldiers with the 4th Battalion, 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) conduct walks at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, Va. on Martin Luther King Jr Day, Jan. 15, 2024. Martin Luther King Jr Day is a federal holiday in the United States that takes place on the third Monday in January. It honors the life and legacy of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

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