C-17 Globemaster III aircraft assigned to the 172nd Airlift Wing, Mississippi Air National Guard, Allen C. Thompson Field Air National Guard Base, Mississippi, arrived at Bodø Air Station, Norway, to drop off personnel and equipment for the 162nd Wing, Arizona Air National Guard, who are participating in Exercise Cold Response 20 (CR20) from March 9-18. The C-17 aircraft will not participate in the exercise.
The U.S. will be represented by service members from each of its military services who will join forces with Norway and eight other allied and partner nations. In total, some 15,000 personnel will take part in this large-scale, tactical field training exercise, which is being hosted by the Kingdom of Norway.
CR20 is designed to enhance military capabilities and allied cooperation in high-intensity warfighting in a challenging Arctic environment with rugged terrain and extreme cold weather. This exercise will emphasize and test critical activities ranging from the reception of allied and partner reinforcements and command and control interoperability to combined joint combat operations, force sustainment, and combat logistics.
To respond to 21st century security challenges, our forces will be fast, mobile, agile and able to surge quickly to diverse locations as required. Exercises like CR20 help hone and perfect those operational capabilities. We have worked long and well with our Norwegian counterparts and our other allies and partners and exercising alongside one another deepens those bonds.
For more information on the 172nd AW or 162nd Wing's participation in the exercise, call +49 (0) 6371-47-6558 or e-mail usafepao.pao@us.af.mil. If after duty hours, please call +49 (0) 1624-25-5428 or e-mail usafepa.pastaffdutyofficer@us.af.mil.
Media interested in covering the live portion of the exercise from March 9-18, should contact U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe’s Communication Strategy and Operations’ director, U.S. Marine Maj. Adrian Rankine-Galloway at +49.703.115.2796 or adrian.j.rankinegall@usmc.mil.