Hi, I’m First Lieutenant Niels Gott. I got lucky enough to get selected for the 34th Annual Norway Exchange between the Minnesota Army National Guard, and the Norwegian Home Guard (Heimevernet).

This is the longest running exchange in the Department of Defense, and with good reason. There’s a strong affinity between the Norwegians and the Minnesotans. When Scandinavian settlers came to our country, the upper Midwest was a natural place for many of them to settle, so Minnesotans often have heritage of family relations in Norway. Our climates are also similar, but it seems like Norway gets a little more snow than we do in Minnesota.

Accordingly, they are excellent at winter operations, so much of our training with them will be focused on this area of expertise. Many Norwegians practically grow up on alpine skis, since the geography is so mountainous.

During this exchange, I will be serving as 3rd Platoon Leader. As time permits, I will be updating this page. I welcome your comments, and thanks for checking out my site!