Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
01/27/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/27/2025 10:52
Northern Strike 25-1 set for Northern Michigan Winter
LANSING, Mich. - Northern Strike (NS) 25-1, this years' winter exercise hosted by the Michigan National Guard (MING), is scheduled to take place across Northern Michigan's National All-Domain Warfighting Center (NADWC), Jan. 27-30, 2025. NS 25-1 is part of the semi-annual exercise series, which includes NS 25-2, scheduled for this August.
"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."
NS is a Joint National Training Capability (JNTC) accredited, Army Sponsored, National Guard Bureau program. The exercise is tailorable, scalable and a cost-effective readiness producer. Participants will brave the cold-weather conditions, while training to meet objectives of the Department of Defense's (DoD) arctic strategy.
"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."
The NADWC, which includes Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center and Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC), offers a cost-effective way for units across the DoD (particularly reserve components) to experience cold-weather, joint all-domain operations. The ability to easily transport people and equipment to Camp Grayling via rail and roadway helps units save time, money and training days. Air component units can fly to Alpena CRTC without leaving U.S. air space.
Participating units will 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.
This year's exercise includes shaping operations with joint fires and a cold-weather equipment pool offered at Camp Grayling. Visiting units will be able to draw from items such as skis, snowmobiles and snowshoes 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."
"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."
NS is a Joint National Training Capability (JNTC) accredited, Army Sponsored, National Guard Bureau program. The exercise is tailorable, scalable and a cost-effective readiness producer. Participants will brave the cold-weather conditions, while training to meet objectives of the Department of Defense's (DoD) arctic strategy.
"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."
The NADWC, which includes Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center and Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC), offers a cost-effective way for units across the DoD (particularly reserve components) to experience cold-weather, joint all-domain operations. The ability to easily transport people and equipment to Camp Grayling via rail and roadway helps units save time, money and training days. Air component units can fly to Alpena CRTC without leaving U.S. air space.
Participating units will 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.
This year's exercise includes shaping operations with joint fires and a cold-weather equipment pool offered at Camp Grayling. Visiting units will be able to draw from items such as skis, snowmobiles and snowshoes 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."