Brig Posted September 4, 2017 Share #26 Posted September 4, 2017 another official shot... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted September 4, 2017 Share #27 Posted September 4, 2017 A few of us on a leader's recon prior to Exercise Joint Viking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted September 4, 2017 Share #28 Posted September 4, 2017 Official public affairs photo of myself and a Norwegian at a demonstration for the Minister of Defense prior to the start of Joint Viking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted September 4, 2017 Share #29 Posted September 4, 2017 A couple of official Norwegian Public Affair images of myself, a Norwegian, and a Royal Marine at same event. I stumbled upon one of these on a Pakistani news site, as well as the official Norwegian public affairs site Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted September 4, 2017 Share #30 Posted September 4, 2017 And this is what Marines do when their PltSgts are busy...climb on other peoples' tanks... another Norwegian official photo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted September 4, 2017 Share #31 Posted September 4, 2017 Scenic view during Joint Viking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted September 4, 2017 Share #32 Posted September 4, 2017 and another Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted September 4, 2017 Share #33 Posted September 4, 2017 Official public affairs photos of a couple of my Marines conducting hand checks and turning snow into drinking water during the exercise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted September 4, 2017 Share #34 Posted September 4, 2017 A different position, official public affairs photos of Marines during the exercise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted September 4, 2017 Share #35 Posted September 4, 2017 another Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted September 4, 2017 Share #36 Posted September 4, 2017 Official public affairs image of a couple of my Marines establishing bivouac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted September 4, 2017 Share #37 Posted September 4, 2017 Due to the position, in order to make it tactically sound we had to dig extensive trenches at this position. One of my squad leaders paced it off at over 600m, the longest trench any of the instructors had seen at a single position. A white out moved in that night and in the morning we had to dig it back out. We called this position 'Hoth'. Here's an official Public Affairs shot of three of my guys in the comm trench as the snow was picking up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted September 4, 2017 Share #38 Posted September 4, 2017 An ambush position at night, official public affairs image of my guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted September 4, 2017 Share #39 Posted September 4, 2017 Another position we occupied night after the white out. It was a rather long, tall hill, that had views of desolate nothingness. We referred to this spot as "the moon" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted September 4, 2017 Share #40 Posted September 4, 2017 near the base of the hill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted September 4, 2017 Share #41 Posted September 4, 2017 the loneliest bush in the world Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted September 4, 2017 Share #42 Posted September 4, 2017 another scenic shot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted September 4, 2017 Share #43 Posted September 4, 2017 Image of the company after the exercise, all sporting 10 day beards... It's an official photo I found on DVIDs but can't seem to find the clear full size at the moment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted September 4, 2017 Share #44 Posted September 4, 2017 Last shot, and official Norwegian public affairs photo of the Northern Lights during the exercise. We must have seen them around 8-10 nights in total. Generally a pale green, however the best was the night of the ambush image, while we were getting ready to head out the sky lit up with every color of the rainbow in streams and rings, and pulsated and moved as we watched. One of the most incredible things I've ever seen in my life If I can find the Norwegian site again I will post the link to hundreds of photos of the exercise. Many were posted on a forum here... http://www.americanmilitaryforum.com/forums/threads/exercise-joint-viking-2017.1945/ Without question, one of the best experiences of my career. I absolutely loved the arctic, and would gladly return on vacation. I am hoping to find a way to get to the Antarctic with the Corps now, but I don't think that happens much these days. But then again, I never would have imagined I'd end up spending 41 days in the arctic circle. If you guys ever get the chance to see it, take it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hudson Posted September 4, 2017 Share #45 Posted September 4, 2017 Thanks so much for sharing Tim: did you feel a kinship with the Iceland Marines when you were there? Granted they didn't have the isolation and weather you seemed to have had further north. Was this first time you ever wore all layers of the multi-layered cold weather gear? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted September 4, 2017 Share #46 Posted September 4, 2017 Thanks so much for sharing Tim: did you feel a kinship with the Iceland Marines when you were there? Granted they didn't have the isolation and weather you seemed to have had further north. Was this first time you ever wore all layers of the multi-layered cold weather gear? I felt a kinship to the Icelandic Marines and I used the environment to relate the training to Chosin for the boys. It got down somewhere between -25 to -28 degrees celsius some nights. I had not used most of the cold weather gear before this deployment, having never been to Bridgeport. Fortunately for me, I also run hot, I think, as I actually never needed to layer up more than a polypro and gortex when active, and almost never needed my mittens, and the only time I had cold feet was when I went for a swim. Some guys, however, certainly took advantage of the plethora of layers we were issued. I had complained last year that I hadn't seen any real snow in a dozen years. Then I discovered where I was going, and it certainly made up for it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirk Posted September 4, 2017 Share #47 Posted September 4, 2017 Brig absolutely fantastic images! That Northern lights picture is unreal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluehawk Posted September 4, 2017 Author Share #48 Posted September 4, 2017 Not equivalent by any means, but I will never forget doing 3 days of snow camping in the BSA, late 1950s... the intense cold at night, the hard hard hard ground, getting started in the morning, keeping clean and dry - simple stuff like that. Thanks for the pictures... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flightpath Posted September 5, 2017 Share #49 Posted September 5, 2017 Really very interesting Brig, I hope you can get back here again too.... maybe they will look for some instructors who have experience here in the future! Cheers, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Meatcan Posted September 5, 2017 Share #50 Posted September 5, 2017 great pix Brig! a stunning, if frigid, landscape. Northern lights have to be one of the most beautiful sights an Earthling can see. How did your gear hold up? was it equal to the environment? how did your gear compare to Royal Marines and the Norwegians? Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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