Joint Exercise Northern Edge Begins in Alaska

Alaska’s single largest annual military training exercise, Northern Edge, began today and runs through June 26, with more than 9000 active duty and reserve U.S. Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines taking part in the joint training both on and above the Central Alaska Ranges and the Gulf of Alaska.

As reported in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, there will be more than 200 aircraft taking part, to include the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis and her 70- plus aircraft air wing.

The regularly scheduled exercise allows U.S. military units to train in a joint environment and perfect tactics, techniques and procedures, while improving command, control and communication relationships associated with joint operations.

Alaska’s size enables the military to have the largest air-ground training complex in the United States.

U.S. Pacific Command-sponsored training exercises such as Northern Edge are designed to increase proficiency and provide effective, flexible, and capabilities-centered joint forces ready for deployment worldwide.

Keep up with the exercise on the Northern Edge website, Flicrk, and Twitter.