Norway announces one-year extension for U.S. Marines
21 Jun 2017

Norway's Minister of Defence announced today that U.S. Marines will continue rotational training and exercises in Norway through 2018.

“Our Marines in Norway are demonstrating a high level of cooperation with our Allies,” said Maj. Gen. Niel E. Nelson, commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe & Africa. “The more we train together alongside one another the stronger our Alliance becomes.”

The commander of Marines in Europe said the decision to extend the presence of the Marine rotational force in Norway is a clear sign of the U.S. and Norwegian commitment to NATO and the strong partnership between our two countries on defense and security.

Norway is an exceptional ally, one that is increasing its defense budget and is committed to acquiring critical capabilities. Both the U.S. and Norway are focused on strengthening the development of joint leaders and teams who understand the synergy of air, sea, and land power as a potent asymmetric advantage in the battlefield.

Since January 2017, approximately 330 Marines have been stationed in Vaernes, Norway, on a rotational basis. They will now continue to rotate beyond 2017, with two rotations per year.

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U.S. European Command is one of the United States’ two forward-deployed Geographic Combatant Commands whose area of focus cover almost one-fifth of the planet, including all of Europe, large portions of Asia, parts of the Middle East and the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans.  The command is responsible for military relations with NATO and 51 countries with a total population of close to a billion people.  


 

 


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