LANSING, Mich. –
Northern Strike 22-1 (”Winter Strike”) is a National Guard Bureau sponsored exercise uniting service members from several U.S. states and partner forces from Jan. 21-30, 2022, at Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center and Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, Michigan, which together comprise the National All-Domain Warfighting Center (NADWC).
“We are excited to kick off the year with the winter iteration of Northern Strike,” said Lt. Col. Adam Jenzen, Northern Strike land component exercise director. “Over the past nine years, the Northern Strike exercise series has grown into one of our nation’s best reserve component exercises. This is the third year for Northern Strike’s winter iteration and we are continuing to evolve by further integrating special operations forces alongside our conventional and multinational forces.”
The Northern Strike exercise series is a tailorable, scalable, and cost-effective readiness producer. The exercise maintains and improves directed training levels by providing a venue for units to maximize training proficiencies and requirements. The summer iteration of Northern Strike is scheduled to take place in August 2022.
“Michigan has some of the best military training facilities in the country, which makes it the perfect place for visiting units and defense industry partners to work together in a complex, all-domain environment,” said Maj. Gen. Paul D. Rogers, adjutant general and director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. “Northern Strike is one of the reasons our state is receiving national recognition as an innovator in the future of warfighting.”
“Winter Strike” is held annually in northern Michigan during the coldest part of the year. Snow, high winds, and single-digit temperatures are commonplace at the NADWC this time of year. Visiting units can train in subarctic conditions, so they are better able to meet objectives of the Department of Defense’s arctic strategy.
Winter Strike is a cost-effective way for units across the DoD (and reserve components in particular) to experience cold-weather joint all-domain operations. The ability to easily transport people and equipment 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.
“Being able to operate in cold weather is a critical skill for any warfighter to possess,” said Jenzen. “The winter iterations of Northern Strike provide the perfect opportunity for units to complete arctic training objectives without the time and money required to travel to more remote locations like Alaska.”
In addition to enhancing our nation’s defense capabilities, the exercise series also serves as an important boost to the local economy. It brings an average of $30 million to Michigan’s economy annually in military pay, travel, and local spending in northern lower Michigan.
“Everything we do at Northern Strike would not be possible without the support we receive from the local community,” said Jenzen. “Northern Michigan is truly one of the most military-friendly communities in the country. Protecting them and our nation is why we train as hard as we do.”
For more information please contact the Michigan National Guard Public Affairs office at 517-481-7735 or ng.mi.miarng.list.pao@mail.mil
For additional Northern Strike 22-1 (“Winter Strike”) content please visit: https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/WinterStrike22