NATO and partner forces Dutch, French US Marines face the freeze in Norway-Exercise Cold Response 22

Every year, NATO organises dozens of military exercises. NATO members also organise national exercises that include other Allies. Cold Response 2022 is organised by the Norwegian Armed Forces.
Marines from the Netherlands, France and the United States have landed in Norway to participate in Cold Response 22, a long-planned Norwegian-led exercise that pits NATO Allies against the unique hardships of the High North.
More than 30,000 troops from 27 NATO Allies and partners have gathered in northern Norway for the drills, which started in early March and will continue until 1 April. The exercise simulates a collective defence scenario, with Marines staging amphibious landings to quickly reinforce Allies under attack. It also lets troops conduct military operations in uniquely challenging weather and terrain, giving them a chance to refine their tactics.
Footage includes shots of Dutch, French and US Marines coming ashore in northern Norway, assisted by Dutch Marines. Soundbites with Lieutenant General Yngve Odlo, Chief, Norwegian Joint Headquarters, and Lieutenant Colonel Ryan Gordinier, Commander, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment.
#eudebates the unique initiative aiming to promote debate, dialogue, knowledge, participation and communication among citizens. #WeAreNATO #NATO #Norway #EUarmy
Exercise Cold Response 2022 - NATO and partner forces face the freeze in Norway
- LIEUTENANT GENERAL YNGVE ODLO, CHIEF, NORWEGIAN JOINT HEADQUARTERS
We created this exercise two years ago and there has been two years of planning. We haven’t changed the exercise objectives much… We had enough forces available to reach the exercise objectives. At the same time, some nations had to deploy to other places in the world. That’s normal, quite normal, we also had to deploy a frigate to the Mediterranean but what is good is that we have the command network and available assets necessary to reach our training objectives.
What it means for me is the importance to rehearse our plans and to exercise together with the Allies because we need to be prepared. And the most important thing I do is to avoid war on NATO territory. That’s my job, and to reach that goal we need to exercise and to have a credible capability so I think that’s the most important part of it.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL RYAN GORDINIER, COMMANDING OFFICER, 3RD BATTALION, 6TH MARINES, UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
So we’re in northern Norway and we just executed an amphibious assault off of the Dutch ship Rotterdam to initiate our first steps in conducting Exercise Cold Response.
This is a very unique situation for the United States Marine Corps to be embarked on a Dutch Royal Naval vessel and then conduct amphibious assaults off of that vessel. No one has done it in our battalion and no one has done it, I think, at all, ever, and so this is a first, not only for the Dutch Royal Navy, but also for the Marine Corps, specifically here in the High North.
The message that it sends is that we’re strong. The message that it sends is that we are united. In these times, that is the most important message that we can send, that we’re doing this together as a team.
STAFF SERGEANT SAMUEL WHITEHEAD, INFANTRY COMPANY SERGEANT, UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
Marines, from day one, are taught that, are told that we’re going to fight any time and any place and I think being here, with NATO, solidifies that and nothing changes. We always train hard and we train for whatever, whatever may happen in the world.
For us to be able to have that interoperability, with all of our allies and be a deterrent force here is incredibly important, so all the Marines have really enjoyed learning from the Dutch and learning from the Norwegians about how to survive and thrive in a cold weather environment in the far north and I think the other countries have learned from us as well.
Exercise Cold Response 2022 - NATO and partner forces face the freeze in Norway
Cold Response 2022 is a long-planned and regular exercise, which Norway hosts biannually. This year's exercise was announced over eight months ago. It is not linked to Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, which NATO is responding to with preventive, proportionate and non-escalatory measures.

[@kiciacoldspring1621]

My Marine son is over there right now.