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Spartan Paratroopers Kick Off Arctic Warrior 21

By Jason WelchFebruary 9, 2021

Paratroopers with 3rd Battalion, 509th parachute infantry regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, descend from the sky during an airfield-seizure operation at Donnelley Training Area, Alaska, Feb., 7, 2021. Paratroopers will spend approximately ten days in the Alaskan cold conducting a near-peer combat scenario beginning with an airborne operation to secure an airfield. (U.S. Army photograph by Staff Sgt. Alex Skripnichuk)
1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Paratroopers with 3rd Battalion, 509th parachute infantry regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, descend from the sky during an airfield-seizure operation at Donnelley Training Area, Alaska, Feb., 7, 2021. Paratroopers will spend approximately ten days in the Alaskan cold conducting a near-peer combat scenario beginning with an airborne operation to secure an airfield. (U.S. Army photograph by Staff Sgt. Alex Skripnichuk) (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Alex Skripnichuk) VIEW ORIGINAL
Paratroopers with 3rd Battalion, 509th parachute infantry regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, descend from the sky during an airfield-seizure operation at Donnelley Training Area, Alaska, Feb., 7, 2021. Paratroopers will spend approximately ten days in the Alaskan cold conducting a near-peer combat scenario beginning with an airborne operation to secure an airfield. (U.S. Army photograph by Staff Sgt. Alex Skripnichuk)
2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Paratroopers with 3rd Battalion, 509th parachute infantry regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, descend from the sky during an airfield-seizure operation at Donnelley Training Area, Alaska, Feb., 7, 2021. Paratroopers will spend approximately ten days in the Alaskan cold conducting a near-peer combat scenario beginning with an airborne operation to secure an airfield. (U.S. Army photograph by Staff Sgt. Alex Skripnichuk) (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Alex Skripnichuk) VIEW ORIGINAL
Paratroopers with 3rd Battalion, 509th parachute infantry regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, clear snow before installing a cold-weather tent at Donnelley Training Area, Alaska, Feb., 7, 2021. Paratroopers will spend approximately ten days in the Alaskan cold conducting a near-peer combat scenario beginning with an airborne operation to secure an airfield. (U.S. Army photograph by Staff Sgt. Alex Skripnichuk)
3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Paratroopers with 3rd Battalion, 509th parachute infantry regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, clear snow before installing a cold-weather tent at Donnelley Training Area, Alaska, Feb., 7, 2021. Paratroopers will spend approximately ten days in the Alaskan cold conducting a near-peer combat scenario beginning with an airborne operation to secure an airfield. (U.S. Army photograph by Staff Sgt. Alex Skripnichuk) (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Alex Skripnichuk) VIEW ORIGINAL
Sgt. Darnel Sawyer, a paratrooper with 3rd Battalion, 509th parachute infantry regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, gathers his equipment after parachuting onto an airfield at Donnelley Training Area, Alaska, Feb., 08, 2021. Sawyer and approximately 500 paratroopers will spend more than a week conducting Arctic warrior 21, a near-peer combat scenario that takes place in an Arctic environment. (U.S. Army photograph by Staff Sgt. Alex Skripnichuk)
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Darnel Sawyer, a paratrooper with 3rd Battalion, 509th parachute infantry regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, gathers his equipment after parachuting onto an airfield at Donnelley Training Area, Alaska, Feb., 08, 2021. Sawyer and approximately 500 paratroopers will spend more than a week conducting Arctic warrior 21, a near-peer combat scenario that takes place in an Arctic environment. (U.S. Army photograph by Staff Sgt. Alex Skripnichuk) (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Alex Skripnichuk) VIEW ORIGINAL

DONNELLY TRAINING AREA, ALASKA – Feb. 8, 2021, Paratroopers from the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, “Spartan Brigade,” executed a joint forcible entry operation into Donnelly Training Area, Alaska, to begin Exercise Arctic Warrior 21.

Spartan Paratroopers conducted an airborne operation into the Donnelly Training Area, conducted a joint forcible entry operation to seize an airfield, and began the Arctic Warrior 21 training exercise running from Feb. 8-19.

“This exercise demonstrates the effectiveness of our Arctic training and ability to face a near peer threat in an Arctic environment, “said Col. Chris Landers, the Spartan Brigade commander. “Our Paratroopers are trained to deploy on short notice and operate effectively in the deep Alaskan winter.”

Arctic Warrior 21 is a cold weather training event that incorporates airborne operations, situational training exercises, and live fire exercises, occurring at Donnelly Training Area near Fort Greely and Richardson Training Area near Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. The exercise tests the ability of the Spartan Brigade to face a near peer threat and validate winter field training in an Arctic environment.

A command element from the Anchorage-based U.S. Army Alaska, along with support elements from the 17th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion and Canadian Armed Forces, provided additional personnel and equipment to increase the realism of the exercise. Paratroopers from the Spartan Brigade acted as the opposition force, providing a realistic and challenging opponent to test Arctic tactics, techniques and procedures.

The exercise demonstrated the capability of U.S. military forces in the Arctic region to operate in austere winter conditions to face near peer threats, bolstering safety and stability in the region.

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