USMC winter weather training?

[Bluehawk]

Looks like some Marines are heading to Norway for special winter training maneuvers or something, maybe replacing some Marines who had been there doing that too?

 

My question:

 

I recall seeing a documentary on TV about USMC special unit(s) who took a rigorous training in severe winter conditions - I think it may have been somewhere inside USA boundaries?

 

So, is that still true (about the USA part), and would our Marines training in Norway be a regular or recent NATO thing, or what?

 

Thanks for any clarifications that can be given.

[BagmanL6]

I believe the CONUS area you are remembering is the Mountain Warfare Training Center (MWTC) Bridgeport, Ca. They conducted summer and winter mountain training. The Marine Corps has a long tradition of training in Norway. It was an annual exercise before the GWOT. As for the current deployments I'd defer to someone with more recent experience.

[Bluehawk]

Thanks, Jeff... very helpful.

[Leatherneck72]

I used to work at MCMWTC Pickel Meadow. What exactly is it that you want to know? It is the premier DOD facility for conducting high altitude training of all kinds. It was born out of necessity after the Marines experience during the Korean War and realizing we were ill-prepared to fight in mountainous and frozen conditions. We have an agreement with NAS Fallon, NV, as well as the Army Depot at Hawthorne that allows us to integrate CAS and CFF / indirect fire as well as demo and explosives/breaching training that we can't do on the leased USFS land. Only small arms training can be conducted as far as weapons are concerned. It also has a small EAF (expeditionary airfield) that can accommodate rotary wing assets as well as MV-22's. Also have the last DOD string of pack mules and horses that are integrated into training packages for SOCOM units etc. You can go through the summer and/or winter package as a unit or as an individual. We have a relationship with the Norweigans that goes back to the Cold War era, and we maintain a large amount of ready-to-use combat and logistics gear in Frigaard Cave, Trondheim. We call it "McPippin" or MCPP-N (Marine Corps Prepositioning Program-Norway. We have also have a winter weather officer exchange program with them. Hope that gives you a little insight!

[Bluehawk]

Excellent... thanks. That says all I needed to understand about this.

 

I was initially fascinated to see the documentary about MWTC as someone interested in USMC training methods and rigors. I didn't think again about it until the other day when a news report made it sound like our Marines were being sent on training to Norway "for the first time since..." (as if this was somehow related to a fresh "build up" of NATO forces in Europe, as is taking place with our Army at the moment).

 

As time went by it has become clear, with your help and Jeff's, that Marines are in Norway for this purpose somewhat routinely as a matter of course.

 

My thinking was, it is one thing to send part of the 4th ID to borders in central Europe, but if Marines are "being sent" to Norway also, then that could be another matter entirely. I was unclear whether the word "training" was a euphemism for something more serious.

 

The clarifications are greatly appreciated.

 

So, that was what prompted the inquiry.

[Leatherneck72]

When we get "serious" you will see MEU's move into strategic positions and Regimental sized units start moving.

[Bluehawk]

Very well.

[Brig]

Wish I'd seen this 6 months ago. It was indeed training, its my unit who participated

 

The Marine Corps has conducted cold weather training in Norway's arctic circle since 1981, when Col John Ripley led 1/2 on the first iteration. 2nd Marines use to be the cold weather regiment. Due to the wars, it kind if fell to the backburner for a decade. It's fitting that 1/2 was the battalion to reboot it. We conducted 3 weeks of training and the Exercise Joint Viking

[Bluehawk]

[SgtMaddoxUSMC]

Too bad you weren't there another week, you could have picked up that Arctic Service medal!

 

Wish I'd seen this 6 months ago. It was indeed training, its my unit who participated

The Marine Corps has conducted cold weather training in Norway's arctic circle since 1981, when Col John Ripley led 1/2 on the first iteration. 2nd Marines use to be the cold weather regiment. Due to the wars, it kind if fell to the backburner for a decade. It's fitting that 1/2 was the battalion to reboot it. We conducted 3 weeks of training and the Exercise Joint Viking

 

[Brig]

 

The medal is a Coast Guard thing, Navy and Marine Corps get a ribbon. And I did...Joint Viking is an arctic exercise

 

Too bad you weren't there another week, you could have picked up that Arctic Service medal!

 

 

[SgtMaddoxUSMC]

I meant ribbon.. My fingers autopiloted to "medal" after "service". I thought you had to spend close to a month inside the circle to receive the award. Pretty cool either way! I would have loved to had gotten a chance to go do some training like that! Personally, I think the coolest looking ribbon is the Antarctic one, but the Arctic one is neat too. Also, I am of Norwegian heritage so I would love to spend some time in my homeland!

The medal is a Coast Guard thing, Navy and Marine Corps get a ribbon. And I did...Joint Viking is an arctic exercise

 

[Brig]

 

We spent 41 days in the arctic circle. I would love to experience Antarctica now, but I don't think theres a mission for a Marine 03 there

 

I have kept busy seeing historical sights...lots of them in Norway. Dora UBoat pens, Kristianson fortress, Rinon Gang House, Hegra Fortress, Falstad Concentration Camp to name a few

I meant ribbon.. My fingers autopiloted to "medal" after "service". I thought you had to spend close to a month inside the circle to receive the award. Pretty cool either way! I would have loved to had gotten a chance to go do some training like that! Personally, I think the coolest looking ribbon is the Antarctic one, but the Arctic one is neat too. Also, I am of Norwegian heritage so I would love to spend some time in my homeland!

 

 

[Brig]

Here are a couple of videos from the exercise. The first is the ice breaking drill we conducted. Second is some raw footage from Exercise Joint Viking taken by Combat Camera of my platoon.

 

[Brig]

Here are a couple of articles about the exercise. There are a plethora of them out there, including many propaganda articles in certain countries. I was told that the story of our arrival in Norway was published in several countries, some friendly, some not

 

First is a story NBC did, second is a story about the suppressors, which I recall forum members asking about last year

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/arctic-marines-an-inside-look-at-the-american-marines-training-in-the-harshest-elements-906536003800

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/marine-unit-norway-first-to-deploy-with-rifle-suppressors-2017-5

[Brig]

Poor phone camera shot through an airplane window, but awesome view of a semi-frozen lake flying into the arctic...

 

 

A shot of myself on the base in Porsangemoan, Norway...

 

Great view as night falls in the arctic, during snow show training early on in the package. I swear, you can't go 100m in Norway without a phenomenal view...

[Brig]

Official Public Affairs photo of one of the platoon commanders learning to build improvised shelters...

[Brig]

View of a rare sunny day, complete with double rainbow, during ski training

[Brig]

Making a snowshoe movement in the snow to another training sight

[Brig]

A shot of the platoon HQ team's snow quincy in progress... due to having to do PltSgt things, I didn't spend much time in it...

[Brig]

shot of my Marines during an exercise

[Brig]

Another shot of my Marines during same exercise...

[Brig]

A shot of a live fire attack range we were about to execute

[Brig]

and another...

[Brig]

Official Public Affairs photos of the attack range...