By WYATT OLSON | STARS AND STRIPES Published: May 3, 2021 The massive Northern Edge joint exercise kicked off Monday in Alaska, bringing together about 15,000 U.S. airmen, sailors, Marines and soldiers and 240 ships and aircraft, including the Air Force’s newly upgraded fighter, the F-15EX Eagle ll. The two-week field training spans the vast state and the ocean waters near it, with troops concentrated in the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex and the Gulf of Alaska. Other sites playing a role include Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Eielson Air Force Base, Allen Army Airfield, King Salmon, Cold Bay, Fairbanks International Airport, Juneau International Airport and Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage, the Air Force said in an April 23 news release. Training scenarios will also make use of Fairchild Air Force Base and Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington.