Combat art is a unique kind of fine art where the artist bears the heavy responsibility of capturing live experiences in a war. The United States encourages talented Marines to join the Marine Corps Combat Art Program so they may create one-of-a-kind pieces for the US National Museum of the Marine Corps (NMMC) collection.
This collection’s strength lies in the objective, authentic focus of the combat artist on the subject before their eyes. Even as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) conducts its 2024 Nordic Response as a record-breaking exercise, it’s the ideal occasion for some artistic time travel.
Although not an actual war zone, the Nordic Response is a major military exercise, especially the one happening this year. The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine has prompted Sweden and Finland to become NATO members. Royal Marines from different NATO nations have joined hands as allies to protect each other against any future attacks.
Putting down this military drill on canvas is an opportunity that only arrives once every two years. In this article, we will discuss the Nordic Response ’24 and the challenges of being a combat artist in the Arctic.
Military Forces Gather at the Cold-Weather Proving Ground
Every two years, thousands of troops from the Norwegian countries and their allied nations gather together in the high North to train under the most pressing circumstances. This year, nearly 20,000 soldiers from 13 allied countries joined the Nordic Response.
This included troops from Denmark, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Spain, and the USA, among others. All the allied nations have had their ups and downs in terms of military training and warfighting. Let’s take the example of the member nation with the most powerful military in the world – the USA.
The US Marine Corps has seen tough times, some of which had nothing to do with warfighting. We’re talking about the worst-ever water contamination crisis that occurred in North Carolina’s Marine Corps Base of Camp Lejeune. Between 1953 and 1987, three water supply tanks across the Base were contaminated with Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).
Unbeknownst to the residents, the polluted water was consumed for three decades. After the tanks at Hadnot Point, Tarawa Terrace, and Holcomb Boulevard were closed in 1982, the after-effects became visible. According to TorHoerman Law, military members and their families suffered from conditions like infertility, cancer, and Parkinson’s disease, among others.
At the time, President Obama made free medical care available for those affected by the Camp’s waters. In 2022, President Joe Biden passed the Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA) for fair compensation. So, how much is the Camp Lejeune settlement per person? While some cases have been closed for hundreds of thousands of dollars, others will soon be settled via bench trials.
2024 is expected to be the golden year when case numbers reduce from 170,000 claims and 1,500+ lawsuits. Within a few months of the incident, the water was purified so that the Base could be used again. Today, Camp Lejeune has restored itself to its pristine condition as Marines gathered for the Nordic Response training.
At least 10,000 of them will be exercising on land, whereas the rest will take over the 50 amphibious vessels and 100 fighter jets. Together, the soldiers will wage war against the horrifyingly cold climatic conditions to defend and protect the Nordic territory.
Drawing from Life the Record-Breaking Training Exercise
While the military forces develop their warfighting skills in the toughest of surroundings, combat artists deployed to this area have a peculiar affront of their own. They must also tread along the snowy paths clogged with NATO armor to draw from life.
The combat artist must identify unique opportunities to present different aspects of the military exercise. It could be something as simple as a soldier warming themselves near the fire. By displaying an ordinary soldier’s experiences on the battlefield, the combat artist learns to look at life from another’s perspective.
It may be said that the current war cry is “Go to war, make art.” After all, there may be no imminent enemy danger in the Nordic Response ’24, but the situation is no less serious for Marines learning to survive there.
The only difference is that while the soldiers must embrace this way of life full-time, the combat artists can head back to their warm barracks once an art session is complete.
Fighting the Frost to Capture an Unrepeatable Moment
Given the below-freezing-point conditions of the Arctic, even a 30-minute art session is enough to cause frostbites. The work of an NMMC combat artist is much like any other plein-air painter, except it’s a lot more horrifying. In other words, the artist may find themselves to be utterly out of place, trying to wage a personal war with the weather and fragile snow-clad roads.
Given the circumstances, they may need to narrow down their subject to whatever is possible at the time as long as they can feel their fingers. Just imagine – sometimes, a centrally-heated mitten over a wool glove and hot pockets may also fail to provide the warmth required for a quick artwork. The sense of feeling may become constricted to the heat leaching from the extremities.
A little goes a long way in conveying the situation of the military forces. For instance – the boredom of gate duty fades into the backdrop when the main focus becomes the winter camouflage that barely reveals any flesh. A piece as simple as that will speak volumes about the cold that tries and tests the very best of the lot.
As we close, let’s not forget that it may be tempting at times to just click relevant photographs and use them as a muse. However, live sketching is what makes combat art so impactful and powerful.
In the end, it doesn’t matter if the pieces are blobby. Considering the challenging combat field and brevity of the moment, the combat artist races against time to absorb what is happening. Even then, the key element to being a successful combat artist is not overcoming the conditions of the conflict zone.
It is more about pushing through the incongruity of pulling out an unserious sketchpad in a somber environment. The NMMC collection is full of masterpieces where someone dared to look past this incongruity.