By Army Staff Sgt. Matthew Britton, U.S. Special Operations Command Europe
Editor's note: The names of special operations forces members have been withheld due to security concerns.
There's cold, and then there's the cold that comes from being above the Arctic Circle — so cold, in fact, that frostbite can occur within minutes on exposed skin.
However, it isn't cold enough to prevent special operations forces from operating in the
Airmen assigned to the 352nd Special Operations Wing and Special Forces soldiers assigned to 10th Special Forces Group conducted a winter training course here from February to March 2018.
The training consisted of six weeks of realistic scenarios and classroom instruction.
“The course included classes and practical exercises on survival in a cold weather environment,” a participating airman said. “We also trained [on] movement on skis and snowshoes, advanced snowmobile movements and live-fire ranges. We need to have the ability to employ and project global access, precision strike and personnel recovery across the globe, regardless of environment.”
Combined Training
Combined training and the exchange of information is critical for successful joint military operations.
“Our success relies on interoperability between U.S. and European forces,” said another airman. “We use common practices, but it…