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Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center welcomes new commander

ALPENA, Mich. — The Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center welcomed their new commander Friday. Colonel James Rossi will take over from former commander, Colonel John Miner.

In a ceremony on the base, Col. Rossi officially accepted the role and laid out how he plans to serve not only the CRTC, but the community of Alpena as well. He brings a long list of experience, including serving as a group commander and a KC135 tanker pilot at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County.

Col. Rossi said he’s ready to begin this new journey in Alpena. “I couldn’t be more excited,” he said. “I’m very excited to lead these men and women of the CRTC. I’m also very excited to become a part of the community.  My wife and I are moving up here and we’re super excited to be immersed and to be engaged with our civilian counterparts on the outside of the fence so to speak because I know that’s really important.”

The CRTC was recently re-branded along with Camp Grayling as the National All-Domain Warfighting Center. Col. Rossi said their mission is to provide all modes of training for anyone who comes. “Air, land, sea, space, cyber — we can provide all of those opportunities for units so we can replicate the fight, so we can better prepare them for what they might be dealing with in the future,” he said.

The Alpena CRTC controls the largest military training airspace east of the Mississippi River and is now under the command of Col. James Rossi.