10th Mountain soldiers deploy to Finland

May 21—FORT DRUM — 10th Mountain Division soldiers stationed at Fort Johnson in Louisiana have deployed to the high north in support of the Defender Europe 24 mission.

The Third Light Infantry Combat Team is overseas in Finland, and although they are not stationed at Fort Drum, they remain a part of the 10th Mountain Division and have done cold weather training at the north country's military post.

"It's kind of unique. They still do the same type of training that we do," said Maj. Rachael Jeffcoat from the 10th Mountain Division Public Affairs Office and who was also deployed to Finland.

Jeffcoat said that this is one of the largest NATO exercises since the end of the Cold War.

There are about 1,500 soldiers from this unit deployed.

The purpose of the mission is to support NATO allies and strengthen ally relationships.

One of the ways they did this is through a tactical convoy through Europe — hauling on the back of an 18-wheeler and then line hauling.

They also looked to see how fast they could deploy a unit, plus equipment, to Europe.

"It was a great exercise for the unit because as you know 3/10 is actually going to be coming back after they support this exercise in Finland that they're at right now. They'll come back for about a month, and they'll redeploy for a nine-month rotation in Europe," Jeffcoat said.

The unit got to Europe in April, started in Norway and went over to the newest NATO ally Sweden before arriving in Finland.

This is the first time the 10th Mountain Division has done a convoy through Sweden.

"It was really great working with the unit," Jeffcoat said.

She said the whole convoy took about five days. Soldiers also transported equipment by rail and line haul.

The tactical convoy is the largest U.S. Army exercise in Europe that involves more than 17,000 U.S. troops and 23,000 multi-national service members from over 20 allied and partner nations.

Soldiers are at the Arctic Circle to do an exercise with different countries.

"It's really to enhance, work alongside, train alongside, our Finnish partners and our other NATO allies," Jeffcoat said.

The soldiers got to go on a staff ride and learn about the history of the 10th Mountain Division in Finland, where the 10th Mountain Division was inspired after the Winter War between Russia and Finland.

"We have such a huge relationship with them already," Jeffcoat said, describing it as "cool" to see soldiers be able to observe where their division got its start.

The roughly 550-mile tactical convoy was one of the largest the military has done since the convoy going from Kuwait into Iraq.

"This was the first one that the U.S. Army has done in Europe at this magnitude," Jeffcoat said.

This also allows for soldiers to be able to mobilize faster if need be given the war in Ukraine.

Battalion Commander for the Second Brigade, Second Infantry LTC. William R. Sitze is currently deployed in Finland. For the Defender Europe exercise, Sitze has been tasked with other brigades including engineering, electronic warfare platoon collection assets and fire support.

"We've redesignated ourselves as task force because we're a little bit more capable than we normally are back at Fort Johnson," he said.

Sitze said they have done a lot since being in Finland.

Back in February, he was told he had to change what his brigade looked like. Fast forward two days, Sitze was told he had 22 days to get ready because he was going to Finland.

Soldiers loaded up the boat in Texas and met it in Norway. In total, there were 500 items on the boat.

"We downloaded the ship in 48 hours," he said.

The items were brought to a Norwegian base, and in about a week, the boat was downloaded, equipment was consolidated and soldiers were putting gear in for the road march.

After soldiers got to where they needed, they set up in octagon-shaped tents and had to use bulldozers to clear the snow. There are about 500 soldiers in the tents, which are heated with wood.

Soldiers will make supply runs for food and water, and every day for firewood.

Now, they are training with Finland's troops.

The temperature and terrain from Fort Johnson to Finland is the exact opposite, but Sitze said that he is telling soldiers that this is a chance to train.

"The opportunity here in Finland right now, it is the opportunity to train in this climate and train in this terrain," he said. "Soldiers are soldiers. They go where they are told to go and they execute with blood, sweat and tears to make it happen, and they're doing that. I'm pretty proud of what I'm seeing with these soldiers."

After being told that they would be going to Finland, they sent soldiers up to Fort Drum to get ready for the cold they would be facing.

Sitze described the experience as "awesome."

"I love being a soldier, I've spent 21 years in the Army and the only thing I ever thought I wanted to do was command, and I'm here," he said.

Soldiers spent the first 48 hours making a camp and their home.

"It's not what I thought we were going to do for the first 48 hours, but we had to take the time, take a knee, focus on each other, make the quality of life as good as we possibly (can) and kind of make this home before we really started trying to work and achieve as many of our training objectives as we could," he said.

Sitze said it was "nerve-wracking" being told what to do with just a three-week heads up, but added that it's been "amazing" to see the soldiers complete missions and take care of each other. He also complimented both the Swedish people and the people of Finland.

Col. Ryan D. Barnett, commander of the Third Brigade Combat Team, said the tactical road march was the first one done in Norway, Sweden and Finland.

Barnett said there has been a partnership with Norway as they have been in NATO and exercises have been done in Finland.

"This is the largest exercise that all three countries have done," he said, which includes all U.S. forces.

Barnett said the cold weather training that they have done on Fort Drum and in Vermont along with Norway and Finland helped teach soldiers how to use the cold weather gear.

Soldiers will be doing live exercises in Finland that will focus on interoperability.

The snow is melting in Finland which allows them to learn how to operate in the cold and wet environment.

"Personally, it is an extreme honor to be a part of something like this," Barnett said.

Barnett said that professionally, it's a learning environment, but personally it's all about friendship as he says he has met Finnish leaders, staff officers and soldiers.

"Those friendships will go far beyond this exercise," he said.