Photo By Sgt. Salvador Castro | A 10th Mountain Division (LI) patch is covered in snow before snow machine training...... read more read more
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Sodankylä Training Area, Finland (Feb. 28, 2025) Soldiers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI), initiated movement from Fort Wainwright, AK, to arrive in Finland to commence training for Arctic Forge 25.
Arctic Forge 25 is a biennial U.S. Army Europe and Africa-led exercise that began Feb. 17 and ends Feb. 28, 2025. The exercise leverages Arctic host nation events—Local Defense Exercise 25 in Finland and Joint Viking 25 in Norway—to build Arctic readiness and interoperability in support of the U.S. Army's Arctic Strategy.
“Going from Alaska to Finland I was a little nervous but excited. It took a lot of effort and planning to move to a different country, and it was executed very well,” said Sgt. Ilan Novikov, a combat engineer assigned to the 41st Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. (LI) “It’s important that we stay deployable and ready to move at a moment’s notice, which is exactly what we’ve achieved."
Soldiers jumped into the exercise by breaking off into groups for different training courses, starting with drivers training on Small Unit Support Vehicles (SUSV) and Leopard 2 A4 Main Battle Tank familiarization led by the Finnish Army.
Learning how to operate military vehicles requires a certain amount of concentration and teachability from each driver, as they must quickly adapt to complex systems, and stay focused in arctic environments to ensure both their safety and the success of the mission.
“The most important thing is to approach everyone on their level, there are different skills and experiences of each driver,” said Sgt. Erno Vuolahti, a technical driving instructor with the Finnish army. “So it can't be a head-on attack, ease into it in the beginning and then toughen it up towards the end.”
The multinational facet of Arctic Forge 25 is a great opportunity for NATO forces to come together, learn their differences in operations, and enhance synergy, fostering stronger cooperation and shared tactics in diverse environments.
“The multinational aspect is a positive challenge,” said Vuolahti. “The language, the new alliance, getting to know each other, seeing how we all do things and try to bring the best of both worlds together.”
Operating in the Arctic is no easy task, but the 10th Mountain Division (LI) Soldiers have embraced this challenge and adapted to the harsh conditions, showcasing resiliency and ability to accomplish the mission.
“This exercise gives you the opportunity to better yourself, become a better Soldier, and a better leader,” said Novikov.
Experiencing the noncommissioned officer corps from Finland, NATO’s newest member, opens a door for enhanced cross-cultural leadership development, and expanding the advancement of Soldiers.
“Seeing how the NCO Corps works from the NATO forces allows me to bring what I've learned back to my Soldiers home to make them better leaders for the future,” said Novikov.
Partaking in an Arctic exercise of this multitude strengthens lethality amongst the U.S. Army and gives a wealth of knowledge that can be spread to many other Soldiers.
“As a junior enlisted it’s eye-opening coming from Fort Drum to Alaska and then to Finland,” said Pfc. Nicholas Delegarza, a combat engineer assigned to the 63rd Combat Engineer Company, 41st Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI). “The difference in weather, it being negative temperatures in Alaska, and the difference in the type of snow from there to Finland, if we can adapt to this, we can be more effective in any arctic battlefield.”
Soldiers' days are meticulously structured, filled with intense training and strategic preparation before beginning the field exercise starting Feb. 25. The days leading up to the exercise involved teamwork exercises, briefings, and pre-equipment checks all aimed at improving their decision-making abilities and reinforcing their ability to adapt under pressure. All knowledge and training efforts will be put to the test during the field exercise, where they will face real-world challenges designed to simulate the most challenging and unpredictable situations.
“Being a part of this feels incredible,” stated Sgt. Matthew Bothe, a senior medic assigned to 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI). “Working with NATO allies, getting this opportunity to bolster not only my nation's military, but also an ally's military as well, is an amazing experience to me.”
| Date Taken: | 02.28.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 02.28.2025 14:39 |
| Story ID: | 491738 |
| Location: | SODANKYLA, FI |
| Web Views: | 265 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 10th Mountain Division builds resilience during Arctic Forge 25, by PFC Makenna Tilton, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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