NORWAY -- Combat Logistics Battalion 24successfully completed a cross-border convoy from Norway to Sweden this week, a logistical feat only possible since March 2024when Sweden officially became a member of NATO. Working alongside Norwegian and Swedish Armed Forces as well as Nordic civilian contractors, Marines and Sailors traveled from Værnes, Norway to Sundsvall, Sweden, proving NATO’s ability to project power across the Scandinavian Peninsula. Previous to Sweden joining NATO, U.S. forces had to rely heavily on maritime shipping as well as line haul and tractor-trailer movements for Marines to transport vital gear and equipment. The new NATO borders significantly streamline theater logistics and increate transatlantic combat readiness.
Tactical Vehicle Replacement
Photo by Lance Cpl. Brady Hathaway
U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Nathanael Olivert, a motor vehicle operator with Combat Logistics Battalion 24, Combat Logistics Regiment 27, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, ground guides a medium tactical vehicle replacement in Værnes, Norway, April 25, 2026. Olivert guided the vehicle prior to a long-range convoy during exercise Aurora 26. U.S. Marines and Sailors with 2nd MLG are participating in exercise Aurora as part of the larger U.S. Army-led Sword 26 series of linked multinational exercises, which directly supports NATO's Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative concept, validates defense plans, builds a unified lethal force, and strengthens deterrence. Olivert is a native of Florida. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brady Hathaway)
Executing a convoy of this magnitude required extensive preparation. Transportation crews practiced the movement in the United States and conducted thorough safety inspections upon arriving in Norway. CLB-24 commanders also spent weeks coordinating with Norwegian and Swedish partners to map out routes that could be safely navigated by heavy military equipment across the region’s rugged terrain.
Tactical Vehicle Replacement
Photo by Lance Cpl. Brady Hathaway
Medium tactical vehicle replacements and joint light tactical vehicles are staged for a long-range convoy during exercise Aurora 26 in Norway, April 25, 2026. U.S. Marines and Sailors with 2nd MLG are participating in exercise Aurora as part of the larger U.S. Army-led Sword 26 series of linked multinational exercises, which directly supports NATO's Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative concept, validates defense plans, builds a unified lethal force, and strengthens deterrence. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brady Hathaway)
“This convoy proved our [NATO’s] joint ability to integrate the reception of U.S. forces in a theater with Allies and partners and move personnel and equipment to a point of friction,” said Captain Carter Fishback, the convoy commander. “But ultimately it's not a task that we can do alone, and we have to rely on Nordic host Nation support to integrate their warfighting and logistics capabilities.”
Tactical Vehicle Replacement
Photo by Lance Cpl. Brady Hathaway
U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Paul Debruin, right, a motor vehicle operator with Combat Logistics Battalion 24, Combat Logistics Regiment 27, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, inflates a medium tactical vehicle replacement tire in Værnes, Norway, April 25, 2026. Debruin inflated the tire before a long-range convoy during exercise Aurora 26. U.S. Marines and Sailors with 2nd MLG are participating in exercise Aurora as part of the larger U.S. Army-led Sword 26 series of linked multinational exercises, which directly supports NATO's Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative concept, validates defense plans, builds a unified lethal force, and strengthens deterrence. Debruin is a native of Iowa. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brady Hathaway)
For the Marines behind the wheel, the operation tested their technical skills. “It definitely poses a new set of challenges to all of us operators,” said Lance Cpl. Paul Debruin, a motor vehicle operator who drove during the convoy. “We train in the United States every day, but this convoy, the conditions, the risk, the mission... this was real and you can’t get that anywhere else.”
Tactical Vehicle Replacement
Photo by Lance Cpl. Brady Hathaway
U.S. Marines and Sailors with Combat Logistics Battalion 24, Combat Logistics Regiment 27, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, conduct a long-range convoy during exercise Aurora 26 in Værnes, Norway, April 25, 2026. U.S. Marines and Sailors with 2nd MLG are participating in exercise Aurora as part of the larger U.S. Army-led Sword 26 series of linked multinational exercises, which directly supports NATO's Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative concept, validates defense plans, builds a unified lethal force, and strengthens deterrence. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brady Hathaway)
The successful arrival of CLB-24 in Sundsvall marks just another step in exercise Aurora and the larger U.S. Army led multinational series of exercises Sword 26. By proving Allies and partners can receive U.S. forces in Scandinavia and navigate both harsh terrain and international borders side-by-side, NATO also proves that its newest members are already making the alliance stronger, faster, and more united.
Tactical Vehicle Replacement
Photo by Lance Cpl. Brady Hathaway
Medium tactical vehicle replacements and joint light tactical vehicles are staged during a long-range convoy during exercise Aurora 26 in Sweden, April 25, 2026. The long-range convoy from Værnes, Norway, to Sundsvall, Sweden, showcased CLB-24's unit readiness and interoperability with NATO Allies and partners. U.S. Marines and Sailors with 2nd MLG are participating in exercise Aurora as part of the larger U.S. Army-led Sword 26 series of linked multinational exercises, which directly supports NATO's Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative concept, validates defense plans, builds a unified lethal force, and strengthens deterrence. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brady Hathaway)