The war in Ukraine changed the situation. In Black Rapids, the 11ᵉ Airborne Division trains operations in the Arctic and in the mountains. And America wants the Russians to know that it is ready.
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It was not winter, but it was still Alaska. Monday, July 11, lightning fell around the Large North training camp in Black Rapids, in the heart of this state in the North of the United States. The torrential storm inflected the torrents to the point that a bridge on the road leading to Fairbanks was swept away. No evacuation by ambulance was possible, unless there is a six -hour road, no helicopter service was possible due to the too low ceiling: climbing training for soldiers from 11 E Alaska airborne division was canceled. The instructors demonstrated imagination, and it was in dormitories that young recruits learned to make knots and cling to the columns of their castles. It is between two fir trees, outside, that another team of students simulated the theoretical crossing of a river on raging waves.
Beyond the irony of the situation, the stake is strategic. The war in Ukraine and the return of the Russian threat changed the situation, as explained by the 42 -year -old instructor Karl Slingerland. “The American army must relearn how to move in a cold universe,” says this veteran of the Black Rapids training school. This Alaska lover examined the Finnish guerrilla strategy against the Soviets, at the start of the “Winter War” (1939-1940). The latter, although much higher in number, had first been stuck on the rare roads of the Greater North, with inexpensive equipment. The American army, to be able to fight in the blizzard and without communication routes, must abandon the equipment that is too heavy for light and all-terrain light vehicles. The Arctic School has become a serious matter. “All mountain schools must get rid of the reputation of being adventure training,” explains the instructor Slingerland.
The US military has accepted our request to attend a few days of training. America wants the Russians to know that it is ready; The army plays transparency, especially since it works on these subjects with its allies, the European Nordic and Alpine countries. “I am very proud of our mission and our soldiers,” adds John Pennell, a former soldier who guides us during the stay.
Creation of a specialized division
Washington has decided to create a division specializing in the fight in the Arctic and the Mountain, by rekindling the 11 e Aéroportée division, which had distinguished itself during the Second World War in the Philippines . Until mid-June, it was a unit without clean decision autonomy, strangely coupled with Hawaii. The jungle and the glaciers under the same command, the situation was a little absurd. “The division, refocused in Alaska, will become operational again”, rejoices John Pennell.
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