Russia vows consequences after Norway invites more U.S. Marines

Reuters via Yahoo ^ | June 14th, 2018 | by Camilla Knudsen and Terje Solsvik

[afsnco]

Roger that. I hate to burst bubbles, but I was stationed in Oslo from 85-89. We had an Air Base Squadron located there which supported HQ AFNORTH, a NATO base at Kolsaas. We provided all base services. But, of course, we weren’t permitted to show the flag, and we weren’t permitted to have any signs, to maintain the fiction of Norway’s no-basing policy. The funny thing was, when you climbed into a cab and asked to go to the US Element, all the cabbies knew where we were.

The Marines exercised in Norway during my time there. We have bilateral agreements with a lot of our NATO allies. In Norway’s case, they’ve allowed the pre-positioning of war materiel at various points throughout the country. The concept is we fly our Marines in and marry them to the war materiel if the balloon goes up.

[Mariner]

There has not been a permanent deployment of any troops to Norway since WWII.

As for guarding the Sea Lanes of Communication...specifically the exit from Russia’s Murmansk...that is a task for naval and air forces and Marines and/or Army forces would have no role in that.

As for the mutual defense treaty (NATO), Norway does not honor it.

[Krosan]

>As for the mutual defense treaty (NATO), Norway does not honor it.

Norway was in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

[Mariner]

“Norway was in both Afghanistan and Iraq.”

Running the mess hall and cleaning toilets.

Norway is bound to spend 2% of GDP on defense, as a minimum.

They spend 1.2 - 1.4%.

They are in violation and therefore do not honor their treaty commitments.

[Krosan]

Agree that this is a problem. They’ve managed to get it to 1.6% last year though and are keen to meet 2% by 2024 as agreed in the Wales summit 4 years ago. Norway also has conscription so some things they do for military won’t appear as lines in budget.