Our cold weather mountain training in California focused on two key areas, survival and misery. Misery is a Marine's very existence. Misery is not endured but embraced by Marines. It defines who we are, especially in a cold weather environment.
In early February 2002, we flew into Trondheim Norway and began the month long extension of our cold weather mountain warfare training. This time our artillery battery would not just be surviving but using our primary weapon in some of the most challenging conditions we had faced to date. As a forward observer, we spent one of our weeks in the field on a mountain top looking down into a snow covered valley and calling for fire. We enjoyed sub freezing temperatures and blizzard conditions while in the field.
We slept in ten man tents on the side of the mountain. The ten man tents were nicer than the four man tents that we primarily used in California because they came with a large stove. We had a snow vehicle bring "hot chow" to us; however, the back door broke off of the vehicle. So, every time we received "hot chow" it was frozen by the time we received it. Meanwhile, other NATO forces slept comfortably down at the bottom of the mountain in warm cabins with hot showers and hot food.
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| Me, standing next to our tent in the middle of our week long blizzard. |
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| An Italian 105mm battery prepares to shoot. |
