DUKE FIELD, Fla. -- A team of Reservists from Duke Field, Florida, demonstrated the versatility of the C-146A Wolfhound aircraft while supporting joint and NATO forces during Exercise Northern Viking 2024 in Keflavik, Iceland, Aug. 26 through Sept. 4.
Members of the 919th Special Operations Wing’s 859th Special Operations Squadron used the venue to illustrate its mission is agile and accessible while still flexible enough to work with military and civilian entities during times of crisis. Aircrew members from the squadron welcomed the opportunity to demonstrate their skills in events across multiple domains.
“Not only were we challenged by having to contend with a drastically different environment, living up to its reputation as the land of fire and ice with storms and an active volcano, but we also benefited from working with other U.S. and NATO forces,” said Capt. Jason Brown, 859th SOS pilot and lead planner for the squadron’s participation in the exercise. “Our primary mission remains SOF-focused, but there will always be a need to work with those who have differing requirements, missions or purposes. Northern Viking gave us an opportunity to work under a Navy and Marine Corps command structure with seven other NATO nations over a 10-day period.”
The multination exercise, led by U.S. Naval Forces Europe and executed by the U.S. Sixth Fleet, brought together naval, air and land components from NATO allies, including Iceland, Denmark, France, Norway, Poland and Portugal.
The unit, and its active-duty partners in the 524th SOS, provide the Air Force’s only non-standard aviation capability transporting SOF members and equipment to some of the world’s most austere locations. This was the first opportunity for the 859th SOS to train with the Icelandic quick reaction force and joint partners in a range of crisis response scenarios, including a volcanic eruption and other humanitarian disasters.