Photo Of The Day and we are off to an island called Gotland. This is Sweden’s largest island, and its location in the center of the Baltic Sea gives it great strategic importance, especially in times like these.

The location is very important from a military standpoint, and despite being an island, the driving distance between the furthermost points of the populated islands is about 170 kilometers (110 miles).

Above you can see U.S. Marine standing near an engineering bulldozer on Swedish Island Gotland during exercise BALTOPS 22.

Below are Swedish Army Rangers disembarking a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. They just landed on a rural road. Note the Ak5c (FN FNC), and that they are using Magpul PMAGs, not the standard issue made by Norplast.

The exercise, led by U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, and executed by Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO, provides a unique training opportunity to strengthen combined response capabilities critical to preserving freedom of navigation and security in the Baltic Sea.

Above: A Swedish Army Ranger stands guard. Below, a U.S. Marine marksman crosses a road.

Below: A U.S. Marine sights in his rifle on the Swedish island of Gotland.

Below: U.S. Marines cross a field.

Photo Source: Rob Kunzig. U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet.