A massive military readiness exercise will unfold in Michigan starting this week

One of the Department of Defense’s largest reserve component readiness exercises is coming to Michigan for two weeks beginning Saturday.

Northern Strike (NS) 24-2 will run from Aug. 3-17 and include more than 6,300 participants from 32 states and territories and five international partners.

The participants will gather for extensive training at Michigan’s National All-Domain Warfighting Center (NADWC) , which encompasses the Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center, the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, and their associated airspace.

This year’s focus will be on expeditionary skills, command and control, sustainment, and joint integrated fires.

The summer iteration of this annual exercise will incorporate scenarios involving homeland security and defense against unmanned aerial systems. Maritime training will concentrate on protecting high-value assets, fixing, tracking, and engaging targets in littoral and open water environments. Additionally, the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency will test new combat search, rescue, and recovery systems during the exercise.

Northern Strike is recognized as the premier reserve component training event designed to enhance readiness across joint and partner forces in all domains of warfare. The NADWC includes the Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center, the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, and their associated airspace. Training will also occur in locations such as Lake Huron, Rogers City Quarry, Battle Creek, MBS International Airport, Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airfield, and K.I. Sawyer Airfield in Marquette.

“This year’s schedule of NS training events reflects Michigan’s and the NADWC's capabilities to support Department of Defense objectives,” U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Paul D. Rogers, adjutant general and director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, said in a statement Monday. “We take pride in our ability to improve the exercise design each year, integrating innovative technologies and solutions into dynamic training to meet the needs of commanders across all domains of warfare.”

Since its inception in 2012, Northern Strike has grown into a joint, multinational exercise program. It provides participating units with robust, scenario-based, full-spectrum readiness training, allowing them to complete mission-essential tasks. Sponsored by the Army National Guard and accredited as a Joint National Training Capability (JNTC) exercise, Northern Strike offers cost-effective readiness opportunities for all services.

“Northern Strike is unique not only because of the integration of defense innovators and academia but also because the exercise reflects the changes service members are seeing on the modern battlefield,” said Col. Todd Fitzpatrick, land exercise director for NS. “For instance, our Air Defense scenario was created from lessons learned from recent drone attacks in the Middle East.”

In addition to enhancing national defense capabilities, Northern Strike provides a significant economic boost to the local economy, contributing an average of $38 million annually in military pay, travel, and local spending in northern lower Michigan.