Marines Prepare for Exercise Cold Response in Norway

A technical assistance and advisory team assigned to Blount Island Command, Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island in Jacksonville, Florida, issued thousands of items to II Marine Expeditionary Force during a two-week cave draw in late January, marking a key step in unit preparations for Exercise Cold Response 26.

Marines preparing for the Norwegian-led winter exercise were equipped and supplied to operate in extreme cold-weather conditions. More than 14,000 items were issued, ranging from ready-to-eat meals and cold-weather gear to tactical vehicles and heavy trucks.

By drawing equipment and supplies from prepositioned stocks in Norway rather than shipping from the United States, the Marine Corps significantly reduced both time and cost.

According to Buddy Cote, technical assistance and advisory team officer in charge, using prepositioned assets saves more than a month compared to a transatlantic shipment, including time in transit, staging, loading and unloading, while avoiding more than $2 million in transportation costs.

"Blount Island Command's ashore prepositioning department directly supports the Marine Corps' doctrine for the rapid employment of expeditionary forces," Cote said.

The equipment is part of the Marine Corps Prepositioning Program Norway, which maintains combat-ready assets in climate-controlled caves across Norway. The program has sustained an over 90% equipment readiness rate for several years through rigorous life-cycle management, including proactive maintenance, repair and modernization.

"The Marine Corps Prepositioning Program Norway reduces reaction times by providing combatant commanders with scalable and tailorable forces capable of executing limited objective missions across a wide range of military operations," Cote said.

"This ongoing support strengthens NATO partnerships and ensures prepositioned assets are available for immediate use when called upon."

Norwegian partners maintain and account for the prepositioned equipment on a day-to-day basis, a partnership that enhances interoperability and enables rapid integration during joint operations. The equipment is tailored to NATO standards, allowing Marines and allied forces to operate together seamlessly during exercises and contingency operations.