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by Wisconsin National Guard Public Affairs Office
VOLK FIELD, Wis. — Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, and U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin were among dignitaries to see the training and equipment involved in Northern Lightning counter land training exercise running through Aug. 18.
Northern Lightning is a large-scale, full-spectrum counter land training exercise. The exercise emphasizes air interdiction and integrates fourth- and fifth-generation fighter aircraft, blending live and simulated training domains. The goal of the exercise is to provide tailored, cost-effective and realistic combat training for the Department of Defense total force.
Baldwin said she was proud to be a strong partner for the Wisconsin National Guard, helping ensure they have the resources needed to execute their core mission.
“Across the world, we are seeing an increase in aggression and the potential for conflict — and it is our responsibility to ensure our military is always ready,” Baldwin said. “The Air National Guard and its members are not only a vital part of our country’s safety, but also essential to our communities and economy, supporting thousands of good-paying jobs and contributing billions of dollars in economic impact.”
More than 60 aircraft, with more than 1,100 service members from 14 Air National Guard units, four Air Force units and four U.S. Marine Corps units, will conduct more than 600 scheduled sorties during the 11-day exercise, which began Aug. 7.
Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center is one of four such facilities in the Air National Guard. It provides realistic and challenging training scenarios unparalleled in the Air National Guard, and the center is often used to replace a flag-level exercise to prepare deploying units.
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