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Video by Sgt. Christopher Garibay

1st Battalion 297 Infantry Regiment conduct arctic survival training during Arctic Eagle 20

139th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

March 3, 2020 | 7:20

EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE – Soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, based in Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson took part in arctic survival, helicopter-hoisting exercises, movement-to-contact and weapon familiarization training in support of Arctic Eagle 2020 at Eielson Air Force Base, Feb. 20 through March 2.
The unit used UH-60 Black Hawks to hoist gear and move Soldiers from forward operating bases to more remote arctic locations to engage in small unit infantry tactics. The exercise is meant to test and validate field skills, gear capabilities, remote communications, transportation capabilities and best practices for survival in an arctic environment.
The 1-297th INF BN began the field portion of the exercise Feb. 25 by establishing a tactical operations center at Winter Camp Forward Operating Base in the Yukon Training Area, which involved setting up a 10-person tent equipped with a heater and generator. Over the next two days, the unit set up their sleeping quarters at Winter Camp, practiced movement to contact and conducted various cold weather training.
“Out here in the Arctic, the greatest enemy is the weather,” said Army 1st Lt. Eric Gorman, company commander of Delta Company, 1-297 INF BN based in Fairbanks, Alaska. “The most important part of the Alaska National Guard is to be able to operate in an arctic environment in order to defend the homeland.”