Not Everything Goes as Planned: My Attempt at the Norwegian Foot March
Marsjmerket "March Badge" Marsjmerket, which translates to "March Badge" in English, is more commonly known as the Norwegian Foot March (NFM) by the United States Military. It is a challenging endurance march or ruck. The origins of NFM date back to 1915, when it was created to test the marching endurance of the Norwegian Army. The Norwegian Army aimed to deploy larger units of troops over great distances quickly and efficiently, ensuring that the soldiers remained combat-ready even after carrying their rucksacks and weapons, which would have weighed 11 kg/24 lbs. Today, the goal is to promote rucking over long distances among military and civilian personnel. Marchers are welcomed by the commander and get their final brief. While most modern militaries rely on vehicles and strategic infrastructure to move troops, foot marching, commonly known as rucking, remains a core component of military fitness, especially among European armed forces. In the United States, r...
