Minnesota’s Beyond the Yellow Ribbon provided food, warm beverages, and support for participants on the last day of the Minnesota National Guard’s annual cold-weather operations course at Camp Ripley on Feb. 8, 2025.

The 14-day training consists of three phases that tested every ounce of the 70 students’ grit and resilience in extreme cold weather. In the final phase, they traveled on foot in sub-zero temperatures, used land navigation skills, and built camps with a 10-person Arctic tent or thermal shelters made from natural materials. The exercise culminated in a jump into the freezing waters of Camp Ripley’s Ferrell Lake.

“Participants braved the icy depths, hitting the first stage of hypothermia faster than they could yell, ‘Somebody get them a hot coffee and a cookie!'” said Stefanie Hurt, community outreach coordinator for the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon, or BTYR, program.

However, through BTYR’s Operation Warm-Up, Hurt and fellow outreach coordinator Taunja Moe Forbes provided 15 gallons of coffee and hot chocolate, granola bars, muffins, and cookies to help the students and staff keep warm or thaw out. The Hugo BTYR network provided donations for the effort.

“Despite the single-digit temperatures, the BTYR crew kept smiles on their faces and hands wrapped around hot drinks,” Hurt said. “If you think it’s hard to stay positive when your eyelashes freeze together, you should’ve seen us power through the cold with enough energy to rival a coffee-fueled snowplow. BTYR’s coffee and treats may have stolen the show because, let’s be honest, a hot cup of coffee is the best way to thaw, but the real MVPs were the brave service members who jumped into the lake and completed the course without hesitation. Cheers to you!”

BTYR’s Operation Warm-Up wasn’t just about coffee and snacks.

“It was about showing up, sharing a laugh, and reminding our service members that the community is behind them, no matter how cold it gets,” Forbes said.

BTYR thanks everyone who helped make this effort possible, especially the Hugo BTYR network.

“Thank you for being the warmth on a freezing day,” Hurt said. “Until next year, stay warm, stay strong, and keep the coffee flowing.”

Beyond the Yellow Ribbon maintains a community and corporate support network that connects agencies, organizations, and resources to meet the needs of Minnesota’s veterans, service members, and families in all military branches. Learn more about BTYR at https://MinnesotaNationalGuard.ng.mil/btyr.

By Cristina Oxtra

Minnesota National Guard Public Affairs