Military Drills in Arctic Aim to Counter Russia, but the First Mission Is to Battle the Cold

Maybe we are not present in an arctic region of Canada, however, all US allies relay on our US army everywher else. However, only few pay required two percent of their NATO contribution. I have read that recently, as a result of President Trump’s appeal some countries started paying more. However, Germany decided recently to reduce their military spending. As the US has its basis and military infrastructure there, Germany feels secure no matter how much they pay. The countries that have borders with Russia for example Baltic States or those which are located very close are more concerned and even express the desire to have American bases build within their borders (Poland). The US provides basically the defense for all the world developed countries. At the same time we do not have good or modern infrastructure within our borders. Our infrastructure is about forty years behind most of Europe and certainly behind China. It is very painful knowing that our society adds to defense costs of so many countries that do not appreciate us or our presence. Visiting New York we observed a Danish couple videotaping an interior of the NY subway. We felt ashamed. We recently started visiting Europe. Even poorer countries in Europe have much better infrastructure that the US. According to our friends who visited Japan and Korea, these countries have much better infrastructure than the US too. I do not see much of criticism about Germany or others not fulfiling their obligations.

My wife, Leah, did a dive in Antarctica when we traveled there. I refrained.

I participated in U.S. Army infantry winter exercises near Fairbanks, Alaska, in 1967 and 1968. I still have a photo of a thermometer showing 58 degrees below zero F. Plus back then there was an Arctic Test Center at Fort Greely, 100 miles from Fairbanks, where soldiers tested clothing and equipment to verify that it was suitable for extreme cold. It would be interesting to know what's happened to U.S. military cold-weather capabilities since then.

“We don’t see a single matter that requires NATO’s attention” in the Arctic, Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov of Russia said at the same event. "Ok, if you say so" said president Trump

News Flash: It's massively cheaper, in blood and treasure, to talk to your 'enemies' and achieve progress instead of war. Case in point: In the early 1950s Ho Chi Minh wrote to our Dept of State seeking our help to get France to liberate its colonies in S.E. Asia. Our government never even replied to Ho. Not even the simple courtesy of a reply or a phone call. The rest is history. Shame on us for not taking the chance to help our former ally with whom we once shared a mutual effort to oust the Japanese Imperial Army from S.E. Asia. Let's partner with all nations having direct interests in the Arctic region, and no one "does Arctic" as well as Russia who've a long interest and experience with such climes. As the founding fathers understood, either we stand together or we'll all hang separately.

While there's no doubt about the effects on global warming on the Arctic, it's not the case that waters in the Canadien Arctic (around resolute and elsewhere) are suddenly or necessarily "open". We traveled up there last summer (when the chances for open water are highest) and could never make it to Resolute Bay because the entire route and surrounding area was completely iced in. So while the trend is true, you still can't rely on being able to navigate through those waters even during that short window in late-summer.

We seem to need enemies to focus our national "go it alone" attitude into a communal one? Russia is handy.

If this actually has defense intent, I feel like maybe the first order of business should be getting these soldiers some outer layers in proper snow camo.

The U.S. has 2 icebreakers to Russia's 40. We look for money to pay for social programs by cutting the military budget and then we hear this.

Of course the United States did not send troops to the region because Vlad is Trump's BFF. When will we ever find out what Trump has talked about with Putin at all those meetings? When will we know why several Republicans went to Moscow last Labor Day? What were they doing there? So many questions.

Nowhere in the article was it pointed out that Canada has deliberately underfunded its brave military for decades. It doesn’t even come close to spending 2% of its GDP on defense as required by NATO, preferring instead to let others provide for its defense (the US, mostly). It regularly saddles its forces with worn out cast offs from other nations, the latest fiasco being its purchase of high hour F-18s from Australia. Canada cannot even reliably assert sovereignty over its own nation a few hours flying time north from Toronto and bringing in a few foreign soldiers for a photo op doesn’t change that one bit.

A map showing the area, the loss of ice cap, and including the Russian installations and the North American bases would have been very helpful in illustrating the danger of this situation. On another note, I don’t understand why the United States did not send troops to be trained in the exercise. After all, we live on this continent, and need to be ready to protect it.

Have I been missing something. In the early 70's we hauled troops and equipment to the far north for exercises with US forces. A trip to Resolute Issackson, Mould Bay , Tucktiuctuk. and others was a regular occurrence for our squadron. Alert has been a Canadian base since well before I started heading that way on resupply from Thule Greenland. Putin was probably new spy back then. I enjoyed those trips in the high arctic as much as others we took around the world. Permafrost was dealt with by building on stills and having way above ground water and electric conduits

I'm having a hard time believing that Russia derives 20% of its economic activity from the Arctic, if what you mean by Arctic is the Arctic seas and ice. Perhaps if you include Siberia and islands in the Arctic, the statement is true.

I hope this article is seen by many people because it reminds us how Vladimir Putin operates. Remember he decried the fall of the Soviet Union and its influence. He will do everything he can to return Russia to its former position in the world stature including going to regions where weather conditions are horrific. He will continually challenge America and other countries in this quest. There was a comment here by the Canadian Defense Minister that said we want Russia to know our capabilities here. That is a very important thought process in this matter. I truly appreciate what NATO is doing in this region. President Trump should think about this the next time he decides to attack the alliance. They are reminding Mr. Putin he should be careful in how far he goes here.

Among all the articles generating despair about the future in today's news, this is, by far, the most ominous.

Why does Putin want to sow chaos? So he can plan for such illegal land grabs while the U.S., with foolish dismal idiotic leadership, self-destructs instead of coming together, thinking straight, and defending ourselves, not from “treasonous” politicians and journalists, but actual real enemies.

I'm surprised that what was not mentioned in this article is the infernal problem of that shape-shifting "Thing" that reanimated, I think, sometime in the early 80s killing both a Russian and American team.

So the ice is melting faster because of climate change which the Russians to expend in the Artic Sea. May be this the REAL CONSPIRACY, between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Let see the facts: 1)Global warming is the cause that the ice melt faster and we are now able to navigate on the sea longer; 2)which helped the Russians to expend and even claim the North Pole; 3)Donald Trump denied global warming and will not do nothing about it; 4)so who is the big winner? The answer is clear Putin; 5)may be this is the conspiracy that Mueller should have been looking in.

Well, the US Army does have the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, NY willing and able to participate in military exercises in northern climes. Just need leaders able to think about the consequences of the Russian Bear......Oh well, that really is too much to think about isn't it.

Soon the Russians will be able to walk over the top of the world into the US and Trump will be there to greet them, saying "Come on in, Vlad my good buddy!"

If we put $100 trillion in the Green New Deal we'll make the Arctic colder. Because now, as you can see, as our great climate scientists have predicted decades ago, the Arctic is melting so fast that poor polar bears, who find no more ice to sit on, are drowning. The Panama and the Suez canals are getting out of business as predicted, since most ship traffic is now using the open Arctic waters, with no need for icebreakers.

Interesting article that can be extrapolated much further, unfortunately. As an American expat living in Asia, I can tell you that there is hardly a single subject in which the US isn't being rapidly overtaken by a foreign country. It's deeply troubling because at the end of the day our country probably has the greatest potential in some many areas, but it's being squandered by a lack of leadership and a population that only wants to squabble about niche political issues. Last Wednesday I was walking around Hong Kong during rush hour in Central District. Two days later I was at a Walmart in central Kentucky. The contrast was depressing to say the least.

I was all set to laugh at the counting method of Lt. Col. James Kerr of Australia, but then I remembered that as an American it's not my place to laugh at any of the troops braving that horrendous cold. As the article earlier noted, "The United States sent observers but no troops this year." This exercise is to defend North America and Europe from Putin's Russia, but it sure looks like our bone spur "president" doesn't want to offend his master in Moscow.

Inuit Ranger Debbie Iqaluk knows how to operate in the Arctic; Private Doug Peach from balmy British Columbia is just counting the days before he can go home. So why doesn't Canada better support the lives of its Inuit population so they can have a real state win protecting the North?

I have total respect and gratitude for the soldiers on this mission. I am grateful to the reporter (Helene Cooper) and photographer (Andrew Testa) for covering this.

Good heavens! I count my lucky stars that the Pentagon had no such duty in mind back when I was draft bait! I found it most disagreeable even to go on bivouac in winter on European NATO maneuvers.

Take a look at 'Schwatka's Search' by William H. Gilder for an example of what survival was like in the artic 150 years ago.