Winter strike returns to northern Michigan

ALPENA, Mich.–Military personnel from all over the world are gathered in Northern Michigan’s National All Domain War Fighting Center, which includes Camp Grayling and Alpena’s Combat Readiness Training Center. Their goal is to utilize Michigan’s cold weather climate to train for conditions they may encounter in combat.

CRTC commander Jim Rossie explains why winter strike is a necessity for the military.

“Winter strike is so important to the department of defense. This is a wonderful opportunity we’re providing here in the northern part of Michigan to provide a training environment for visiting units for participants to really engage at the kind of things they need to do to be successful in an arctic environment.”

Success in cold snowy environments vastly differs from what military may experience in warm climates.

“Moving around in the summertime with tanks is one thing, but to try and be effective in this environment they’ll be doing things like moving around with snow mobiles, with snow shoes, snow ski’s, all the kind of things you need to be effective in an arctic environment,” said Rossi.

Outside of the training benefits Winter Strike provides for military world wide, it also helps bolster the local economy here in Alpena.

“Units from across the country who are occasionally getting away from the training environment and going out to eat and engaging in the local economy. Winter Strike training concludes this Sunday.