Camp Ripley To Host Norwegian Soldiers For The Next Two Weeks

If you are in the Little Falls area over the next two weeks you might hear some different languages being spoken. Norwegian soldiers are here to participate in joint training with the Minnesota National Guard at Camp Ripley over the next two weeks.

The Norwegian soldiers arrived earlier this week at Minneapolis/St. Paul's International Airport, and after landing were escorted up to Camp Ripley.

The Minnesota National Guard is excited to welcome the Norwegian Home Guard to Minnesota for this year’s 52nd Norwegian Reciprocal Troop Exchange. After landing and gathering their equipment in Minneapolis, with the help of the Minnesota National Guard, 133rd Air Wing, they bussed up to Camp Ripley to unpack and prepare for the next two weeks of training.

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The Norwegian Home Guard, their version of the National Guard, has been coming to participate in joint training for years, and I was lucky enough to be at Camp Ripley once while the Norwegians were there. It was wild to see them in their fatigues at breakfast or coming back in from training for dinner.

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Did you know that this troop "exchange" began way back in 1974 and is the longest-running military exchange partnership between any two nations? According to the Minnesota National Guard, "Two veterans of World War II, Norwegian Major General Herluf Nygaard, and U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Francis Greenlief started the Norwegian/United States Reciprocal Troop Exchange, know as NOREX, in 1973 with a hand shake. In 1974, Norway sent troops to Minnesota and the Minnesota National Guard sent Soldiers to Norway as part of the first exchange."

While there are some Norwegian soldiers here, there are also about 100 Minnesota National Guard members over in Norway training, as evidenced by this Norwegian social media post.

To our friends from Norway, let me first say welcome to Minnesota, don't be shy, and hopefully, Camp Ripley has a meat raffle you can enjoy.