Air Force Col. Mark Schmidt, director of operations

Air Force Col. Mark Schmidt, director of operations for Alaskan Command, greets visiting U.S. Marines with the Special Purpose Marine-Air-Ground Task Force-Arctic Edge 18 as they arrive at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Feb. 13, 2018. The Marines are at JBER to support Arctic Edge 2018, a biennial, large-scale, joint-training exercise that prepares and tests the U.S. military’s ability to operate tactically in the extreme cold-weather conditions found in Arctic environments. Under the authority of the North American Aerospace Defense and U.S. Northern Command, more than 1500 participants from the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy will utilize the unique and expansive air and ground training areas in Alaska. (U.S. Air Force photo by Alejandro Peña)