Peters Attends National Guard Training Exercises In Grayling

U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), was in Grayling Monday to watch critical winter training capabilities at Camp Grayling – a key part of the National All-Domain Warfighting Center.

As part of Michigan National Guard’s winter iteration of the Northern Strike annual exercise program, Peters viewed National Guard troops conducting live-fire exercises, executing urban training missions and learning to operate in cold-weather environments.

With snow, high winds, and single-digit temperatures commonplace at the National All-Domain Warfighting Center this time of year, visiting units are able to train in subarctic conditions, so they are better able to meet the objectives laid out in the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Arctic strategy.

“Michigan is home to the weather conditions and top-notch defense capabilities that showcase the best of what our state has to offer and play a critical role in the National Guard’s training capabilities and our national defense,” said Senator Peters, a former Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “I was pleased to see firsthand cold-weather training exercises at Camp Grayling that contribute a great deal to our military readiness and enhance our defense capabilities. I’ll continue working to position Michigan as a vital part of our national security strategy and further the mission of our state’s military footprint.”

“Senator Peters has always been a champion for the Northern Strike exercise, which has grown into one of the most important tools for building readiness within the U.S. military’s reserve component,” said Maj. Gen. Paul Rogers, adjutant general and Director of Michigan’s Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. “His support, and the support of Michigan’s congressional delegation, ensures that Michigan National Guard facilities remain a premier location for complex, all-domain training that is critical to keeping our armed forces safe and successful as they support our National Security.”