A-10 Thunderbolts from the 124th Fighter Wing in Boise, Idaho release flares as part of a close air support mission May 15 at Hardwood Range, Wis. during Northern Lightning — a realistic counterland combat training exercise at Volk Field May 6-17, 2019. (Wisconsin National Guard photo)
CAMP DOUGLAS, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Northeast Wisconsin residents may notice increased military aircraft activity in the first two weeks of August.
Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center, located in Juneau County, is hosting the annual Northern Lightning Counterland training exercise Aug. 5-16. It will bring approximately 1,100 military personnel from the Air Force, National Guard, Marine and Navy to the Camp Douglas area.
Units from Wisconsin, Vermont, Alabama, California, Ohio, Arizona, Minnesota, North Dakota, Missouri, Idaho, Kansas, Washington, Pennsylvania and Illinois are expected to participate in the exercise.
Officials describe Northern Lightning as a tactical-level, joint training exercise that replicates the modern air battle space with current and future weapons platforms. A variety of the world’s most advanced aircraft will be used in the training.
Northern Lightning 24 is focused on advanced combat and our ability to execute in a contested environment with an agile footprint that replicates operational expectations in the Pacific theater,” said Exercise Director Lt. Col. Michael Cady in a news release.
The desired end state for the exercise is that our Air National Guard and active-duty Airmen, as well as joint partners, are at their best capability level to address the threat with combat power if called to do so in the future.
The Wisconsin National Guard says people in and around the Camp Douglas area should anticipate seeing and hearing increased military flight operations in the airspace. Residents of the following counties may be affected:
- Adams
- Brown
- Calumet
- Clark
- Columbia
- Dane
- Dodge
- Fond du Lac
- Green Lake
- Jackson
- Juneau
- Marathon
- Marquette
- Monroe
- Outagamie
- Portage
- Sauk
- Sheboygan
- Trempealeau
- Waupaca
- Winnebago
- Wood
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