Northern Strike is a National Guard Bureau-sponsored training exercise that unites service members from multiple branches, states and coalition countries to conduct combined ground and air combat operations. The exercise is conducted at Camp Grayling in northern Michigan, at the nearby Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, and at select locations in Michigan, like the Rogers City quarry, that provide unique environmental conditions necessary to rehearse specific military skills. The newly JNTC accredited exercise demonstrates the Michigan National Guard's ability to plan and conduct complex joint operations. It is the only National Guard program in the JNTC Accredited Portfolio. Northern Strike 17 runs July 29 - Aug. 12, 2017.
The Michigan Army National Guard and the Latvian Ministry of Defense mutually benefit from the State Partnership Program that began in 1993 after Latvian's independence from Russia. Shared ideas, software, and operational planning are enhanced through the experiences gained from operations such as Northern Strike and Saber Strike.