Known as Northern Strike (NS) 25-1, the trainings are being hosted by the Michigan National Guard and take place across the Northern Michigan’s National All-Domain Warfighting Center, which includes the Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center. (Seth LaCount/U.S. Army)
(Tribune News Service) — Several units representing branches of the U.S. military will be in Northern Michigan through Thursday for ongoing cold-weather training, meaning there will be an unusual amount of military planes, helicopters and trucks in parts of Northern Michigan this week.
The training began Monday.
Known as Northern Strike (NS) 25-1, the trainings are being hosted by the Michigan National Guard and take place across the Northern Michigan’s National All-Domain Warfighting Center, which includes the Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center and Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center.
“For a decade, Northern Strike has helped our nation’s reserve component forces build readiness as a lethal fighting force,’’ said Col. Todd Fitzpatrick, land exercise director for NS. “This marks the 6th cold-weather iteration of this event and as our national defense strategy changes, so does the exercise.”
The exercises allow for participants to experience conducting operations in cold-weather scenarios in a cost effective manner. The exercises are a tailorable and scalable way for the military to test the readiness of participants who may have to deal with extreme cold-weather while conducting operations.
“Wind, snow, and single digit temperatures force units to adapt and overcome conditions they could potentially face against a near-peer threat,” said Maj. Gen. Paul D. Rogers, adjutant general and director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. “In years past, temperatures at Camp Grayling have been colder than Alaska, so this exercise serves as one of the best opportunities for units to train in some of the most challenging conditions.”
Because people and equipment can be transported to Camp Grayling via rail and roadway, it saves significant time and money to conduct the training and allows for more training days. Air component units that need to travel to Alpena can fly there without having to leave U.S. airspace as well.
Exercises include shaping operations with joint fires and a cold-weather equipment pool offered at Camp Grayling. Visiting units will have access to skis, snowmobiles and snowshoes in order to meet their training objectives.
“By offering the cold-weather equipment, our Camp Grayling partners have made the exercise even more tailorable,” said Col. Todd Fitzpatrick. “Having equipment pre-positioned here reduces logistical concerns for units so they can focus on their warfighting tasks. Our goal is to provide units with the tools to become more effective warfighters, ready to meet the ever-evolving demands of today’s security environment.”
Units involved in this year’s training include the 125th Infantry Battalion, MING; Second Air-Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; Marine Air Control Squadron, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Yuma, AZ; Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162, New River, NC; and other units from the U.S. Army National Guard.
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