Northern Strike: 6,000 plus service members training in NE Michigan

Rogers City, Mich. — Thousands of military boots are on the ground for operation Northern Strike. Our service members suited up at the Rogers City limestone quarry for Friday’s training.

Northern Strike is the biggest exercise of its type in the U.S. Department of Defense. A team of media professionals were able to watch a training exercise between Army National Guard Puerto Ricans and Air National Guard Georgians battle on the open terrain. The field tactic scenario was a simulated international war zone.

More than six thousand active service members from 8 countries and 20 states are training with Camp Grayling and the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center.

“You don’t want to start training just before,” said Technical Sergeant Joshua Aleprete. “You have to deploy or push into an area of operations. It’s a full time thing. You should always be training, even if it’s not procedures and tactics. We’re out here. We’re marching several miles–full gear. We’re always training our bodies and our mental resiliency to keep pushing when it gets tough.”