US Marines' boots fell apart during NATO's Cold Response 2026 Arctic exercise in Norway.

INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY

US Marines' boots fell apart during NATO's Cold Response 2026 Arctic exercise in Norway. Brand-new Belleville Intense Cold Weather Boots developed holes in the leather, soles peeling off, and heel cups digging into tendons within days. Marines had to be pulled from the field and buy Norwegian-made replacements from local stores. Inspections back at Camp Lejeune found a 12% defect rate across 4,400+ boots — nearly 540 pairs with "out-of-the-box" failures, peaking at 20% in the July inspecti