The exercise wasn’t about winning or losing, Foggo said, but providing opportunities to stress the forces involved in ways they would need to respond in an actual contingency, and the ability of the nations to bring forces together.

At the core of the exercise is the NATO Response Force, 5,000-plus people strong. “We’re going to demonstrate the ability to move that force quickly,” said Foggo.

The speed with which it moved troops and war equipment to Norway from 29 countries, “sends a message to Russians, or anybody else that might want to encroach on the sovereignty of any of our members,” Foggo said.

“The battle was won on the very first day, when 50,000 troops showed up,” Foggo said.

 

Phase Zero

TJ18 is a Phase Zero demonstration where the NATO forces are divided in half. “We have forces to the north and south, and we are going to play offense for a few days, which we’re currently on, and then they play offense for a few days and we will be on defense. It’s a chance to improve our interoperability and integration, and honing skill sets,” Skillman said. “But there’s nobody who’s playing ‘the bad guy,’ and nobody is playing ‘the good guy.’”

Rear Adm. Brad Skillman, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group Two, which included the USS Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group, praised his Norwegian hosts.

“The Norwegian mine warfare forces cleared the area for us. That was all very professionally done. It doesn’t look like their forces are very large, but they’re very good and capable and they understand the environment. You see that they’re a real ally, and that if you operate up here, they’re capabilities are significant. They are very good mariners who have a lot of pride in what they do. They really know their business and we’re in their backyard and they have it wired.”

Prior to arriving in Norwegian waters, the amphibious landing rehearsal in Iceland was cancelled due to bad weather, and Little Creel-based USS Gunston Hall and her landing craft sustained minor damaged in heavy seas.