U.S. Army Officer Strengthens Allied Readiness as NWIC Instructor in Norway

GRAFENWÖHR, Germany – 1st Lt. Kieran Place from Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 41st Field Artillery Brigade returned this week after serving as an instructor for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Winter Instructor Course (NWIC), a premier multinational cold-weather training program hosted in Norway from 15 November to 13 December.

The month-long course brought together NATO personnel from across Europe and North America to enhance convergence and equip students with the knowledge and skills to fight, move and maintain unit combat readiness in arctic environments. Selected to represent the 41st Field Artillery Brigade, Place worked alongside Norwegian cadre and partner-nation instructors, delivering hands-on-training in cold weather operations.

“I was able to work collectively with our Norwegian counterparts to instruct and evaluate U.S. and NATO forces during NWIC," said Place. It was an invaluable opportunity to provide service members with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed while operating in an arctic environment and improve my craft as a cold-weather instructor."

In addition to Place’s instructor role, the brigade also sent eight Soldiers who participated as students. Of the participants, seven Soldiers earned an instructor status. As a result, they expanded the brigade’s cold-weather expertise across multiple sections, further enhancing arctic readiness at the tactical level.

Place’s contribution as an instructor reflects the brigade’s continued emphasis on developing leaders who can provide expertise and train their formations on operating in extreme climates across the European theater. Knowledge and lessons learned during the course will directly support the brigade’s future cold-weather training efforts and enhance its integration with NATO allies regarding cold-weather survivability.

NWIC remains one of NATO’s most respected winter training programs, and Place’s successful completion as an instructor during the latest course demonstrates the professionalism, adaptability and expertise of U.S. Soldiers serving abroad.