 The latest weapons, coupled with the fighting skill of the American soldier, stand ready on the alert all over the world to defend this country. You the American people against aggression. This is The Big Picture, an official television report to the nation from the United States Army. Now to show you part of The Big Picture, here is Sergeant Stuart Queen. From the end of January to the middle of March, the big delta country of Alaska is a snowbound wilderness where the mercury can drop to 50 degrees below zero, and often does. Yet during these three months, your army held Exercise Moose Horn, the longest and coldest Alaskan maneuver on record. The purpose of Moose Horn was to determine how well combat units could move and fight and be supplied under extreme Arctic conditions. Big Picture crews were there during the entire maneuver. They have recorded for you Exercise Moose Horn. Moose Horn was held in Alaska. And Alaska in the summer is a pleasant place. A hot Arctic sun sits in the sky 19 hours a day. Props can be harvested. Cool mountain streams flow down to the sea, while life abounds. The coast is 3,000 miles longer than the United States coast. Here colonies of pervaring seals sport in the Rocky Shore. But even in the summer, Alaska is an empty place, with only one inhabitant to every eight square miles of territory. When the winter comes around, it's downright foreboding. Civilization in the Arctic is a difficult proposition. The only people who over the centuries have adjusted to Arctic living are the Eskimos. Their dire necessity was in fact the mother of invention. To travel, the Eskimo invented the dog sled and the lightweight skin-covered kayak. He invented the harpoon with a detachable head to capture the sea animals upon which his winter existence depended. Fishing is the occupation of women and children, and fish is one of the staples of the Eskimo diet. Fully tailored fur garments complete with hood and mittens is another Eskimo achievement. While the women fish, the men concentrate on bigger game, like this pair of walrus. Survival depends on knowledge, cunning, and physical strength. But even the wily Eskimo has not been able to populate the country to any great degree. Away from his scattered settlements, anyone in search of any living thing would find little more than an occasional polar bear lumbering over the windswept snow. But Alaska is huge. Superimposed over a map of the United States, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean almost to the Pacific and from the Canadian border down to Mexico. So Alaska is big and empty and cold. But it is also vitally important to the defense of the United States. Its geographical position places it directly astride an illogical Arctic invasion route. This fact was made painfully clear in World War II when the Japanese invaded the Aleutians. Alaska was the only part of the Western Hemisphere so invaded. And we must remember that Russia is right across the Bering Strait, only 56 miles away from the tip of the Seward Peninsula. At such close quarters, the Cold War has become a real factor in Alaskan life. And Alaska itself has become the western end of our Arctic rampart. But the defense of a huge snow-swept wilderness presents tremendous problems. Men must be specially trained. Here at the Army Ski School at Camp Hale, Colorado, a group of soldiers become acquainted with the basic method of over-snow movement, ski. If you're going to be stationed in Alaska, you're going to have to ski. It doesn't matter whether you're from Arkansas or Idaho, you're going to learn here at Camp Hale. An instructor demonstrates the proper method of skiing on the level. Moving around with two seven-foot slabs of hickory stuck to your feet isn't easy if you've never done it before. Once you get the hang of it, chances are you become a ski enthusiast and gain a lifetime of pleasure from an exhilarating sport. But the Army is primarily interested in teaching you how to get from here to there over the snow in the quickest and easiest way. Of equal importance to the training of the Arctic soldier is the development of his equipment. This is the latest in Arctic fashion, the cold bar suit. Worn directly over the skin, it has unusual insulating qualities that are not affected by wind, rain or snow. Zippers simplify getting in and out and allow for venting when the temperature soars above freezing. The suit is made of rubber-like foam plastic, covered with a water-resistant nylon shell. Together they make for near-perfect insulation. The new Arctic boot is a rubber-fabricated combat boot. Fine woolen fleece is sandwiched between a seamless rubber inner lining and a tough white rubber carcass. A projection to hold ski bindings and a non-skit tread complete the Arctic features of the new boot. Here at the brand new quartermaster research and development center at Natic, Massachusetts, the new and old boot come out of the deep freeze. Subjected to such extreme low temperatures, the old boot comes out stiff as cast iron. While at the same temperatures, the new boot retains its original flexibility. Prolicking in ice water up to your ears is one way to test the amazing qualities of the cold bar suit. It'll keep a man afloat indefinitely in warm and dry in ice water for periods up to 20 minutes. A special consultant to the quartermaster corps, the famed Arctic explorer, Sir Hubert Wilkins, is pleased to find the men warm and dry inside. At other research laboratories elsewhere in the army, other pieces of equipment are developed and tested for Arctic use. Here in the cold chamber at Fort Monmouth, a mobile electrical generator gets the deep freeze treatment. The technicians take the chamber down to 65 degrees below zero. Graders still kicks over. But no matter how much they torture equipment in a test chamber, it is still a controlled experiment. It is never quite the same as under field conditions. The real test is the large-scale tactical maneuver. Such was exercise moose horn. In the middle of the Arctic winter, 7,000 soldiers head for one of the world's coldest spots, only 165 miles from the Arctic circle, Fort Greeley, Alaska. Six combat battalions from Alaskan bases and one from Fort Lewis, Washington are going to find out for future reference just how tough it is to move and fight and resupply large tactical units under adverse Arctic conditions. In this sort of country, air transportation is the simplest way to cover large distances when the weather is good. Delta Alaska is clear with ice fog expected tonight. Westerly winds from 5 to 15 miles per hour. Temperature will range from minus 10 to minus 40 degrees. As the transports approach Fort Greeley, jets from the Alaskan fighter command give them a friendly check out. Fort Greeley and the big Delta region of Alaska, preparations for exercise moose horn are well underway. The maneuver directors attend a briefing. Exercise moose horn will be conducted on undeveloped Arctic terrain. The existing road net will not be utilized. Supply by air and by overland transport will be compared and evaluated. Ability of units to deliver timely and accurate fire will be determined. So this was Alaska. The airport apron at Greeley looked like Grand Central Station during the rush hour. Alaska may be big and empty, but we sure weren't alone up here now. It wasn't long before we got the word. Maneuver situation. Aggressor forces of unknown strength have made airborne landings north of the Alaskan range. An aggressor airborne unit has seized Delta Junction. Two battalion combat teams will immediately engage the aggressor forces and destroy them. That was our mission. But troop transports weren't the only aircraft stopping at Fort Greeley and the tactical maneuvering of troops wasn't the only mission. One of the primary purposes of Exercise Moose Horn was to determine the most effective method of resupplying large combat units under adverse Arctic conditions. Tons of material started coming into Fort Greeley. The 54th squadron, the eager beavers, did yeoman duty bringing the supplies in. To keep a modern mechanized column on the move takes a literal lake of gasoline. In this terrain with a blanket of snow, you can't expect to get more than about a mile and a half on a gallon of gas. Even in a weasel, the lightest over snow vehicle, a full tank won't let you get 100 miles. Here, where resupply is most important, it is also most difficult. Two basic methods of resupply were to be compared and evaluated. One overland by cat train and the other by air. There were two battalions to be in the field at once. One would receive supplies by cat train, the other by airdrop. The army was going to determine just what the advantages and disadvantages of both methods were. Those two battalions in the field were going to need a lot of stuff. And it poured into Greeley by air and by land. A truck convoy 40 miles long came up the Alcan Highway from the United States. And at the fort, initial supplies for the first phase of the maneuver are transferred to the over snow vehicles that will take part in the exercise. Even these vehicles themselves get gassed up. Here an otter takes a long drink before the long pull tomorrow. Tankers get their vehicles ready for the big push ahead. Gas tanks are topped off, final checks are made. A little individual attention to those individual pecs will pay off when you start breaking through the brush around here. In the Arctic, the equipment for a squad of men is carried in an improved plastic version of the Eskimos Akio, the 200 pound sled. The specially designed Arctic tent goes in first. That's your winter home. It's the heaviest and when it's up, 10 people live in it. Sea rations and that most welcome piece of equipment the Yukon stove get loaded in next. Otter equipment follows, then everything gets lashed down good. What you carry on your person is pretty important up here too. Sounds like the wrong end of the world, but chapstick, dark glasses and sunburn cream are as necessary here as they are on a tropic shore. Other items like waterproof matches, chemical fire starters and candles can keep things pretty cozy inside an Arctic tent. That's what they say, but I can tell you one thing for certain. We were sure just about to find out. Weather report, Big Delta, Alaska. The maneuver area is covered with two feet of snow with drifts to six feet, eight to ten inches additional snowfall expected. Tentacles continue to be below normal for this area. The official temperature this morning was 43 degrees below zero. This is the sort of weather when all internal combustion engines get mighty stubborn and uncooperative. But a blast of hot air from the old Herman Nielsen heater will usually bring them around. There she goes, purring just like the old bus back home. H-hour D-day and the first battalion pulls out of Fort Greeley. Objective, aggressor forces 45 miles away. The advanced trail breaking unit shoves off first. The bulk of the battalion will follow with more tanks, more men and more vehicles. Then the second battalion will get underway, 2400 men against the unpredictable Arctic winter. The exercise will be conducted on terrain that is representative of sub-Arctic areas. The existing road nest will not be utilized. So we use the Delta River. This frozen solid makes a nice highway. From the manual it says, soldiers on skis can maintain speeds of three to four miles per hour. Sure, but for how long and how far? And dragging just what along with you? Living intimately with snow and cold, the soldier soon learns to do as the old time sourdough did. He respects its power and takes it in his stride. Here you can't carry a canteen of water. It would freeze and burst, but when you ski and it's 20 below, your tongue gets dry. When your tongue gets dry, you get thirsty and 10 parts of snow make only one part of water. First battalion made good progress today and is advancing on the aggressor-held positions near Donnelly's dome. This is for me. They tell me ski jarring is an old Scandinavian custom originally done behind a horse. Here we use a weasel and it works out even better. And it sure is the easiest way to get from here to there over open country. Under ideal conditions you can make up to 20 miles an hour. The only hitch is, it's too easy. You're not working hard enough. Your body cools down and you can get a chill. So when the sergeant gives us the word to drop those lines, we have to move off on our own again. First battalion established a moose horn record when they moved 19 miles in one day. Moving within a few miles of the aggressor position. In the Arctic a bivouac area is a touchy thing to select. Here the advanced party checks a likely site. Tactical consideration and human comfort usually are at cross purposes. High ground is great from the military standpoint, but it's also likely to be the coldest and windiest. So the battalion moves into a stretch of evergreen forest that gives some protection from both elements and the enemy. Once the bivouac area is established, the bulk of the battalion moves in. A very similar scene is taking place over at the second battalion. To prevent observation, the security elements surrounding the battalion construct lean twos instead of using tents. That may look like a lot of stuff moving in here, but there are 1,200 men betting down in these woods and with that many people, even a lot doesn't last very long. We were counting on resupply by air and over at the second they were going to get their stuff by cat train. Tactical bivouac today held positions. Inside the bivouac area we were making ourselves comfortable and getting settled in our 10 man tent. But we knew that all around the fringes of the bivouac, security elements were keeping their eyes open. Back at Fort Greeley resupply operations get underway. Then an Air Force weather plane brings back the news. The report, big delta Alaska, temperature between zero and minus 20 degrees, high winds and blowing snow expected, wind velocity to reach 70 miles per hour. Going to be a real Alaskan willow up. It was so right. Both resupply operations were cancelled. Out here in bivouac we just moved inside and waited. The sergeant in our tent took up cooking and you know, it wasn't bad at all. You get used to washing your face with snow too. We even had time for a shave. Weather report, temperature 55 degrees below zero, winds 5 to 10 miles per hour. The willow is over. Despite the extreme cold, the C-124s are in the air on their mission of resupplying the first battalion. At the same time down on the ground, cat trains from the engineer unit start smashing their way forward toward the second battalion. There isn't very much up here that can stop one of these mechanical monsters. It takes skill and courage to knock a trail through this arctic wasteland, but if the man has to stop, the machine will see him through. Meanwhile, the Air Force was making delivery over the first battalion drop zone. Been waiting for him. There's not a prettier sight in this world than a big old shoot with a carton of rations dangling down below. This battalion was resupplied by paratroops, 2,000 assault packs, 6,800 gallons of gasoline, and 14,500 pounds of ammunition. As soon as those supplies were down, we pounced on them with weasels and otters towing sweats. Despite the delay caused by the high winds of blowing snow, the first battalion was effectively resupplied by air, proving the feasibility of this type of operation. It was sometime later when the cat train started pulling into the second battalion Bivouac area. Although delayed, they too had made it through to the troops with food, gas, and ammunition. One of these sleds can deliver 10 tons of material, and a bulldozer can pull three of them. These sleds are carrying 62 drums of gasoline. That can move a lot of equipment a long ways even in this kind of a country. And the second battalion was pretty soon going to have to move. The 771st engineer battalion sliced their way through this arctic wasteland and arrived at the second battalion headquarters today. They delivered 4,000 gallons of gasoline, 2,000 C-rations, 2,000 assault packs, and 5,000 pounds of ammunition. While we were unloading his cat train, the driver downed a cup of java and told some told tales about his trip. Both battalions were now resupplied. Food and ammo was in plentiful supply. What's most important for tracked vehicles, there was gasoline. At 0800 this morning, elements of the first battalion made contact with the aggressor main body. The second battalion has been informed of the situation and is pushing overland with all speed to join the battle. Struck the aggressor forces on their northern flank, apparently by surprise. Our moving overland to maintain contact with battalions are being evacuated by the 57th helicopter evacuation company from Fort Sam Houston, Texas. There may be Alaska is just a little bit bigger than Texas. With the maneuver enemy defeated, the simulated battle is over. The tactical phase of Moosehorn has come to an end. On the way back to Greeley, we had time to think it over. And you know, we learned one big thing. We learned that we could live and move and even fight in the arctic if we had to. But don't let anybody tell you it's a no-sweat proposition. But successful, the Moosehorn veterans returned to Fort Greeley. Proudly they pass and review. Moosehorn was the longest army maneuver ever held in Alaska and the biggest. Over half the army forces stationed in Alaska participated. For the first time, troops from the United States were employed in an Alaska maneuver. An ambitious exercise has been a success. Moosehorn is over now. But the lessons learned are bound to affect all future thinking on arctic warfare. This huge maneuver stands as a prime example of your army's never-ending search for better and more effective methods of defending this country against aggression. This is Sergeant Stuart Queen. Invite you to be with us again next week for another look at your army in action on The Big Picture. The Big Picture is a weekly television report to the nation on the activities of the army at home and overseas. Produced by the Army Pictorial Center. Presented by the United States Army in cooperation with this station. You too can be an important part of The Big Picture. You can proudly serve for the best equipped, the best trained, the best fighting team in the world today, the United States Army.