Arctic Forge 25 is a U.S. Army Europe and Africa led biennial exercise that leverages Arctic host nation exercises Local Defense Exercise 25 in Finland and Joint Viking 25 in Norway, February 17-28, 2025, to build Arctic readiness and interoperability in support of the U.S. Army's Arctic Strategy.

Arctic Forge 25 is focused on building the U.S. Army’s Arctic capabilities including deployment to the Arctic, Arctic multi-domain operations, and Arctic sustainment, and includes approximately 330 U.S. and 750 multinational participants from Canada (TBD), Finland and Norway.

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Video by Jorge Gomez
The Badge & the Blade
Irwin Army Community Hospital
May 23, 2025 | 8:36
As the sun rises over Fort Riley on May 22, 2025, three Soldiers from Irwin Army Community Hospital step off for the final test of their strength and endurance: a grueling 12-mile ruck march that culminates their pursuit of the Expert Field Medical Badge. SPC Kangle Lin, SGT Jacob Brand, and SPC Seth Adkins speak about the mental and physical toll of this elite competition.

Of the 62 candidates who began the grueling, weeklong test on May 18, 2025, only 13 earned the badge—a pass rate of just 21 percent. Among them were three Soldiers from Irwin Army Community Hospital, who stood out from a starting group of eight IACH competitors. Their success not only highlights the extreme difficulty of the EFMB but also reflects their relentless grit and preparation.

Music title "Legacy" by Scott Buckley (@ScottBuckley) – released under CC-BY 4.0.
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