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Home > Training >
Special Forces Winter Warfare Training
Special Forces units have historically trained for
cold weather, mountain, and winter warfare operations. While all groups
train for this specialized evironment the Special Forces group most
experienced with winter warfare is the 10th Special Forces Group.
1st Special Forces Group soldiers conducting mountain training India
(2014)
10th Special Forces Group. 10th Group has
always taken a deep interest in training during the winter and in
mountainous areas. This is due to its geographical orientation to
the European environment. During the Cold War the 10th Special
Forces Group was tasked with conducting Unconventional Warfare (UW) and
other missions on the European continent. These UW missions would likely
take place in remote, austere and mountainous locations. Movement
would sometimes be restricted by the terrain and harsh winter conditions.
Not only were the Soldiers of 10th Special Forces Group expected to
survive harsh winter conditions but they would need to be able to move
over the terrain and conduct operations. 1.
The locations of the 10th Special Forces Group
afforded proximity to areas that have winter environments and mountainous
areas. During the Cold War 1st Bn 10th Special Forces Group was
located at Bad Tolz, Germany (see picture of
Flint Kaserne and
here) where many 10th Special Forces Soldiers enjoyed great skiing
conditions and mountain climbing areas. In the United States the
remainder of 10th Special Forces Group was stationed at Fort Devens,
Massachusetts not far from the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the
Army
Mountain Warfare School at Camp Ethan Allen Training Site
(CEATS) located in Vermont. The 10th Special Forces Group later was
relocated to Fort Carson, Colorado and currently conducts winter warfare
training at locations in
Colorado and other parts of western United States.
Green Berets with 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) practice
self-recovery from a glacial crevasse during Valor United 20, an arctic
warfare training exercise in Seward, Alaska. During the September 2020
exercise, Special Forces and conventional soldiers alike developed their
patrolling and survival skills in some of the most unforgiving terrain in
the U.S. Key focus areas for the training were arctic, alpine and glacier
movement, crevasse rescue, and long-range high-frequency communications.
In addition to training, the 1st SFG (A) team assisted 212th Rescue
Squadron with wilderness search and rescue operations. (U.S. Army Courtesy
Photo)
Winter Warfare Locations. Other locations for
winter warfare training include Fort Drum, New York,
Camp Ripley, Minnesota,
Alaska, and Camp McCoy, Wisconsin. A favorite training
location for some 10th Special Forces teams based in Europe is the
Norwegian Armed Forces
School of Winter Warfare.
Specialty Training. Being able to operate in
a winter environment requires training in several skills sets. One is
being able to survive the cold weather. Another is being able to
conduct movement whether by snowshoe, skiis, or snowmobile. In mountainous
areas an SF detachment may need mountaineering skills. In the past twelve
years (and more) Special Forces detachments have operated in extreme
winter environments during the
Afghan War.
Cold Weather and Winter Operations Training.
The
Northern Warfare Training Center at Fort Wainwright, Alaska offers
several courses in cold weather and winter operations. Many Special
Forces groups send their Soldiers to this school for specialty training.
Ski Equipment. In the 1950s until the early
1970s the Special Forces teams used a variety of ski equipment; however
many learned to ski on wooden skiis nicknamed "White Stars". The
bindings were made of leather and Soldiers would wear the "Mickey Mouse"
winter boots, Chippewa ski boots, or regular Army boots with rubber
galoshes. In the 70s the groups started purchasing
civilian skis for crosscountry movement.
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Ski Clothing.
It took a while for the Army to catch up with the advances that
the civilian sector had made in outdoor clothing and equipment.
Illustrative of this is the Army clothing worn by an SF Soldier in
the late 70s while downhill skiing at a ski resort in New England.
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Publications
and References about Cold Weather
and Winter Warfare Training and Operations
Basic Cold Weather Manual, FM 31-70, 12 April 1968.
Cold Region Operations, ATTP 3-97.11/MCRP 3-35.1D (FM 31-70 and
FM 31-71), January 2011.
Fighting the Russians in Winter: Three Case Studies, Leavenworth
Paper No. 5, Dr. Allen F. Chew, Command and General Staff College,
December 1981. (accessed
here on cgsc.edu on 13 Nov 11).
Handbook on Winter Warfare, No. 2300/42, German Army High
Command, 5 August 1942. (Adobe Acrobat file accessed
here on cgsc.edu website on 13 Nov 11).
Risk Management Guide for Cold Weather Operations, USARAK Pamplet
385-4, 30 September 2009.
Winter Training, Journal of Special Operations Medicine, Volume
2, Edition 1, Winter 2002. (Adobe Acrobat file accessed
here on socom.mil on 13 Nov 11).
Other Web Sites
with Info on Winter Warfare
The Battle of the Winter War. Soviet Union invasion of Finland
1939-1940.
www.winterwar.com
Videos about Winter Warfare
"Cold Weather Packing List Video", SOF News, March 26, 2018. A
U.S. Marine shows us what he carries in his backpack to survive in harsh
winter environments.
www.sof.news/video/cold-weather-packing-list-video/
"Arctic Warfare: Combat in Deep Snow and Extreme Cold". US Army Training
Film, Part 1 of 2, 1950.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_oPwdlWSk4
"Arctic Warfare: Combat in Deep Snow and Extreme Cold". US Army Training
Film, Part 2 of 2, 1950.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QabnkINGgc0
"Winter Camping: Sub-Arctic Winter Bivouacking". US Army Training Film,
1955.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pyv2gsCo7Vo
"Cold Weather Operations". Swedish Armed Forces, 2010.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=99PNgN7haVg
"US Army National Guard Mountain Warfare Course", Jericho, Vermont.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u2TxVA23W4
Generation III Extended Cold Weather Clothing System (GEN III ECWCS).
US Army PEO Soldier, 2010. Facts about 7-layer cold weather system.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a5ZChRJ6r0
"Soldiers put winter survival skills to the test". Canadian Army News,
2009.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTa9SqxQZH4
"High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS). Indian Army.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4--Xt-EGKg
"Winter Warfare and Survival Training". Norwegian Army.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1F_MziQMJE
"Norway Winter Training / Arctic Warfare" at Bardufoss, 2008.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nalVXOVvQU
Endnotes
1. Read Winter Warfare Memories by Bob Mayer, in his "Write on
the River" blog, January 8, 2015. A former 10th Special Forces Group
member writes up his training experience in the cold.
http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/2015/01/08/winter-warfare-memories/
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