Comanche native supports military exercise ‘Northern Viking’ in Iceland

KEFLAVÍK AIR BASE, Iceland - Equipment Operator Constructionman Coalton West, a Comanche native, joined U.S. sailors and Marines for U.S.-led Exercise Northern Viking 2024 (NV24) in Keflavik, Iceland, from Aug. 26 to Sept. 3.

West is a graduate of Comanche High School and his parents and other family still reside in the area.

West is currently a U.S. Navy Seabee assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 11 where he operates and maintains heavy, construction equipment. These skills were used during NV24 to operate excavators in order to support airfield damage repair training on Keflavik Air Base.

While supporting NV24, West was part of exercise activities with servicemembers from Denmark, France, Iceland, Norway, and Poland as well as components of Standing NATO Maritime Group One and Allied Maritime Command.

“I volunteered for [Northern Viking] because at the beginning of deployment they said ‘who wants to go to Iceland’ so I raised my hand,” said West. “The mission was very important, so I really stuck with it. It was really an honor to come out here and work with the Polish and the Marines.”

NV24 will strengthen interoperability among NATO Allies through a variety of contingency situations including humanitarian crisis response caused by a simulated volcanic eruption and other training opportunities to further enhance safety and sustainment operations, expeditionary and construction capabilities, medical responses, and search and rescue, as well as humanitarian assistance.

Through NV24, the U.S., Iceland and Allied nations are better prepared to execute in a multi-domain command and control of joint and coalition forces in the defense of Iceland and the Sea Lines of Communication in the Greenland, Iceland, United Kingdom (GIUK) gap, a vital shipping hub for commerce between North America and Europe.

Participation in multinational exercises such as NV24 enhances professional relationships and improves overall coordination for the U.S. with Allied militaries during times of crisis. It also allows U.S. servicemembers the ability to experience new cultures and visit a foreign country.

“I wasn’t expecting to go from 100 degree weather to 45 degree weather that quick but honestly [coming to Iceland] was a very exciting thing,” said West. “I didn’t think I would ever be in Iceland but here I am…I really liked it, I would come back.”

Northern Viking is a biennial exercise that has been held since 1982 and is based on the provisions of the 1951 Defense Agreement between Iceland and the United States.

U.S. European Command directed and U.S. Naval Forces Europe-led, NV24 is a U.S. Sixth Fleet planned and executed Joint and Coalition live exercise. U.S. Sixth Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts a full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with Allies, in order to advance security and stability in Europe and Africa.