Combat artists are illustrating moments of Marines in Nordic Response 24, preserving details of the exercise through coal, ink, graphite, and wax.
Combat artists in Norway captured Marines braving frigid temperatures and snow during military exercises known as Nordic Response 24.
The NATO-led exercise, which will run from mid-February to mid-March, brings together thousands of Norwegian and allied troops from more than a dozen nations to practice defending NATO’s northern flank.
Nordic Response is part of NATO’s Steadfast Defender 2024, the alliance’s largest military exercise since the Cold War.
Though Russia was not mentioned by name in public remarks, the wargames also serve as a show of strength to deter the Kremlin two years after its unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine.Nordic Response 24
Over 20,000 service members from more than a dozen different nations are participating in the exercise, which is taking place throughout northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Troops are conducting training on land, sea, and in the air.
Over 50 submarines, frigates, corvettes, aircraft carriers, and various amphibious vessels will participate in Nordic Response.
More than 100 fighter jets, transport aircraft, and maritime surveillance aircraft — including the CH-53 Super Stallion, Merlin, Cobra, and Osprey — are also participating.
On land, troops will conduct exercises in tanks, tracked vehicles, and other vehicles and work with various artillery systems.What is a combat artist?
Combat art dates back centuries, offering a glimpse into significant moments of warfare throughout history.
Artists have documented the Marine experience since the service branch was established in 1775, but armed forces in the US didn’t have an official program until World War II.Marine Corps Combat Art Program
In 1941, the US Navy established the Combat Artist Corps, and the Marine Corps followed suit in 1942 through its Department of Public Relations.
According to a call for Marines to serve in MCCAP, artists are tasked to « use creative thinking, design, and drawing skills to visually document Marine Corps personnel and activities across the globe, » including training exercises and overseas operations.
