Airmen from the New York Air National Guard's 106th Rescue Wing participating in Michigan exercise this month

Members of the 103rd Rescue Wing , who specialize in rescues, are part of Northern Strike 20

Westhampton Beach, N.Y. (07/13/2020) — Thirty Airmen assigned to the New York Air National Guard's 106th Rescue Wing are heading to Michigan to take part in exercise Northern Strike 20,one of the Department of Defense's largest annual readiness component training exercises.

The exercise, which runs from July 16-31, features live fire, air to ground integration exercises and ground combat drills.

The Airmen, who are members of the wing's 103rd Rescue Squadron, will train at the Michigan Air National Guard's Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, located at the northern tip of Michigan's lower peninsula.

The Alpena facility hosts the air components which participate in the annual exercise. Army and Marine forces participate at the Camp Grayling Maneuver Training Center.

A total of more than 2,300 personnel are expected to participate at Northern Strike 20, according to the Michigan National Guard. This includes Army and Air National Guard forces from California, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin. Active duty forces from the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Coast Guard, as well as personnel from the U.S. Army Reserves, U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, and NATO partner countries Latvia and Lithuania will also participate.

Normally around 6,000 to 7,000 service members participate, but the numbers were reduced this year due to COVID-19 restrictions, according to the Michigan National Guard.

The 103rd Rescue Squadron includes the pararescue Airmen and Combat Rescue Officers who are responsible for rescuing downed pilots and other personnel from behind enemy lines.

The Airmen will participate in scenarios that test their skills, including moving into and out of enemy controlled terrain using both aircraft and on foot.

The training will help the Air National Guardsmen from New York hone their skills for deployment, according to 106th Rescue Wing leaders.

According to the Michigan National Guard, measures are being implemented during the exercise to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus and still allow training to take place.

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