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U.S. Forces Redeploy After Successful Completion of Trident Juncture

U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe and Africa

Nov. 8, 2018 | 1:59

TRONDHEIM, Norway - U.S. Forces are redeploying to their home stations, following their successful participation in NATO Exercise Trident Juncture 18, which took place in Norway’s challenging terrain, airspace and surrounding seas.

“We’re not done yet; we’ve still got a lot of work to do,” said US Navy Admiral James Foggo, the commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples, to roughly 50 NATO service members from many of the participating nations in the exercise at a concluding event Nov. 7 in Vaernes, Norway. “The weather has also been an adversary, but you’ve overcome it, but we could not have done that without our Norwegian allies and the total defense concept”

More than 50,000 personnel from all NATO member nations participated in Trident Juncture 18, along with partner nations Sweden and Finland, bringing approximately 10,000 vehicles, 250 aircraft and 70 ships from across the alliance to the largest NATO exercise since 2002.

“We achieved a tremendous logistical accomplishment in Trident Juncture 18 by bringing assets from both the continental U.S. and from bases here in Europe,” said Lt. Gen. Robert F. Hedelund, the commanding general of II Marine Expeditionary Force, the largest U.S. unit participating in TJ18. “An exercise of this scale allows us to demonstrate the global reach of the U.S. military and our commitment to the NATO alliance.”

Each branch of the U.S. Department of Defense provided a significant contribution to the exercise with the largest being the U.S. Marine Corps, with 7,500 Marines. As US forces in Norway reset their equipment, proceed to follow-on missions elsewhere, or return to their home stations, they remain focused on using what they learned from NATO allies to improve their units’ capabilities.

“The work that we did here, in concert with our partners, helped us learn about the challenges involved with deploying, sustaining, and redeploying a large-scale force in this challenging operational environment,” said Hedelund. “We have learned a lot and are eager to learn more.”

While the Marines ashore learned how to maneuver in Norway’s rough terrain and cold climate, similar tough lessons were learned across the joint US force supporting Trident Juncture.

"Operating a carrier in more northern latitudes presents some obvious challenges. We spent a lot of time planning for it, we spent a significant amount of time procuring specific gear, and also specific capacity,” said US Navy Capt. Nick Dienna, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman. “I’m incredibly proud of the efforts of our sailors operating on a day-to-day basis in what I would argue is perhaps the most unforgiving environment that we operate in as an aircraft carrier.”

While U.S. Forces learned new lessons and tested their ability to execute complex missions in harsh conditions in coordination with NATO allies, Foggo is confident that U.S. Forces' are ready quickly to reset and face new challenges.

“It’s time to bring the equipment back home and put it on the ships and get ready to go,” Foggo said. “I just wanted to come here and thank each and every one of you for your efforts, for your stellar performance, for your dedication to the Alliance and the security of all our great nations that made up the NATO alliance for the last 70-years.”