GRAYLING, Mich. — Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center will see an increase in activity over the next few months as several military units participate in annual training and large-scale exercises.
Although Camp Grayling has military and civilian law enforcement training year-round, the summer months are exceptionally busy.
“Grayling residents will notice an increase in traffic in the community as units maneuver through town to get to the ranges. We will try to route these vehicles to have as little impact to the community as possible,” said Lt. Col. Thomas Green, director of plans, training, mobilization, and security for CGJMTC. “There will also be more aviation assets flying overhead. Additionally, there will be some evenings of night fire exercises; therefore, houses near the impact areas should expect to hear some blasts.”
Camp Grayling will host three large exercises during the June, July, and August training months.
Northern Exposure is a five-day, real-time exercise of operations responding to a variety of threats all occurring in the operational time frame. This live exercise will run from June 23-27, at regional locations in numerous communities in Michigan including CGJMTC’s Combined Arms Collective Training Facility (CACTF). This effort will help ensure the readiness of the Michigan National Guard to provide support of local authorities in times of attack or disaster. An exercise of this type helps responders at all levels to coordinate and communicate together on an all hazards approach.
Northern Strike is a National Guard Bureau sponsored Joint Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise (CALFEX) that will occur from July 13–Aug. 1 at CGJMTC and the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center. The focus of the three-week event is to provide tailored, cost effective and realistic combat training for our National Guard in a joint and multinational environment. Units from 14 states and five coalition country partners will participate in the exercise. Over 300 Total Force fighter, bomber, mobility, and rotary sorties are planned in support of the exercise in order to meet stated objectives for participating units.
The eXportable Combat Training Capability (XCTC) program is scheduled for Aug. 8-28. XCTC provides realistic military training using new technology and engagement strategies. The program of record is used by the Army National Guard since 2005 to train more than 11 combat and functional brigades. XCTC is a cost-efficient, time-efficient option for delivering combat readiness training to Soldiers at or near their home stations.
In addition to the Northern Exposure, Northern Strike, and XCTC, Michigan National Guard Soldiers will rotate through the post to complete their required annual training warrior tasks and monthly drill duties. U.S. Army active duty and Reserve Soldiers as well as service members from other branches are also scheduled to utilize Camp Grayling’s facilities.
“It is estimated that Camp Grayling will have more than 24,000 Soldiers on ground at the high point of the training between June 1 and Aug. 30, 2015,” said Sgt. Maj. Don Derryberry, operations sergeant major for CGJMTC. “Measured in man-days, there could be a 44 percent increase from 2014’s 220,000 man-days to 2015’s estimated 395,005 man-days.” A man-day is the unit of measurement equaling one Soldier for one day.
Civilian law enforcement, including the Michigan State Police and several local county sheriffs and police departments, train regularly on Camp Grayling.
The small arms range, shoot house, simulated training center, and counter improvised explosive device training lanes will be as equally busy as the multi-purpose range complex (MPRC) and CACTF on the 30 Complex and the air-to-ground range and impact area of the 40 Complex.
Camp Grayling is our nation’s largest National Guard training facility spanning 147,000 acres across Crawford, Otsego, and Kalkaska counties in Northern Michigan.
For more information, please contact Camp Grayling Community Relations at 989-344-6106.
| Date Taken: | 05.15.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 05.15.2015 11:00 |
| Story ID: | 163428 |
| Location: | GRAYLING, MICHIGAN, US |
| Web Views: | 345 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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