Military Police from the Michigan Army National Guard engaged a team from 5th Special Forces Group in one of many freezing nights at Camp Grayling Maneuver Training Center as a part of Northern Strike '24. Of course, they were flying the opposing force (OPFOR) in the exercise that utilized blank fire.
Northern Strike is an annual exercise, usually a month-long, that takes place in conditions that are so cold and windy that they are used to replicate arctic weather for the sake of training.
A team from 5th Special Forces Group had its own targets and objectives while the OPFOR from the National Guard was out hunting for them. "Last night we were just doing a roving patrol,” said Sgt. 1st Class Todd Teuling Teuling who was in charge of the OPFOR. “We kind of knew where were; the intent was to do a patrol and then to go attack them.”
The OPFOR moved through the freezing forest, while illumination rounds were fired from a mortar team to light up the area. "Contact right!" one of them shouted.
The purpose of the exercise was twofold, as both the OPFOR and the Special Forces team got to train in winter warfare conditions, one as the aggressor and the other as the defender.
"I like getting out in the field and being part of the injects, you know, doing the attacks and just seeing how everything plays out and seeing how the RTUs [Rotational Training Units] and the Soldiers are reacting," Teuling said. "Even though it's simulated, it's training, you still get a bit of adrenaline going."