U.S. army personnel and Norwegian counterparts tour rail amenities close to Rygge Air Base, Norway, on Oct. 18, 2022. The 2 international locations’ militaries lately labored by way of deployment eventualities within the occasion of a menace. (Eleanor Prohaska/U.S. Army)
STUTTGART, Germany — The challenges of surging hundreds of troops into Norway, which U.S. Marines regard as their gateway to Europe, gave rise to a latest gathering of army officers there to strategize on mobilizing manpower and ammo.
The Stuttgart-based U.S. Marine Forces Europe and Africa joined U.S. Army logisticians and Norwegian personnel for a five-day session beginning Oct. 17, throughout which they labored by way of deployment eventualities within the occasion of a regional menace.
Marines can be pressed to deploy quickly on the mandatory scale, mentioned MARFOREUR/AF planner Paul Rosenbloom, who added that coordinating with the Army’s twenty first Theater Sustainment Command can be crucial.
“I do know that’s what twenty first TSC does, so I reached out to the specialists,” Rosenbloom mentioned in an announcement Monday.
The U.S. forces and their counterparts from the man NATO member nation assembled at Rygge Air Base in Norway, the place they targeted on methods to shortly circulate as much as 15,000 Marines and their gear into the nation.
Situations concerned the usage of airports and seaports, pre-positioned shares and ammunition circulate, the Kaiserslautern, Germany-based twenty first TSC mentioned within the assertion.
“Within the occasion Norway is underneath direct menace, the U.S. Marine Corps is obligated to help in Norway’s protection,” the Army assertion mentioned.
U.S. Marines with twenty second Marine Expeditionary Unit, take part in a live-fire vary in Setermoen, Norway, April 26, 2022. U.S. and Norwegian armed forces lately labored by way of a spread of deployment eventualities within the occasion of an rising regional menace. (Yvonna Guyette/U.S. Marine Corps)
The contingency planning coincided with Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the continued Russia-Ukraine struggle, which has sharpened Western allies’ deal with logistical issues.
Norwegian navy Commander Senior Grade Anders Fanavoll mentioned Russia’s battlefield logistics shortcomings have bolstered the significance of successfully managing provide strains and troop actions.
“That may be decisive,” he mentioned within the assertion. “For us, simply exhibiting that we’re planning for this … I feel that might be fairly a deterrence, to indicate (the Russians) that we’re in a position to do this sort of operation.”
The Marine Corps’ historical past in Norway dates again to the Chilly Warfare, when a community of large mountainside caves was established to retailer sufficient firepower for a minimum of 4,600 Marines.
The concept was to construct depots that would shield the hidden stashes within the occasion of a nuclear assault. The Marines nonetheless keep the cave websites, which have taken on added significance due to NATO’s considerations a couple of extra aggressive Russia.
The Corps additionally routinely rotates contingents into Norway for periodic drills, with a particular deal with chilly climate coaching.
