Army Reserve Engineers Train Across Multiple Missions During Exercise Northern Strike

Army Reserve soldiers assigned to two engineering companies spent the first week of Exercise Northern Strike 26-2, Aug. 1-7, moving between water operations, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense training, live demolitions and preparations for urban operations at Camp Grayling, Michigan.

The range of training gave soldiers experience beyond their usual engineering tasks while showing how those skills fit alongside maneuver forces. 

For Army Capt. Brandon Lalonde, 428th Combat Engineer Company-Infantry commander, that connection is an important part of Northern Strike. 

“The maneuver part, though, is something that generally we avoid when we plan training; and I think there’s some shame in that because you don’t really get to see how security is established, how people move forward on the battlefield [and] where the engineers fit in the mission,” Lalonde said. “We need to see the bigger picture.” 

On Aug. 3, soldiers conducted helocast operations, exiting a hovering aircraft into the water before making their way to shore. They later moved into CBRN training that included protective mask procedures, decontamination and mission-oriented protective posture operations.  

The next day, they trained with M18A1 claymore mines and selectable lightweight attack munitions and worked through emplacement procedures before conducting live detonations.

“This training is critical to building our unit’s readiness and combat effectiveness,” said Army 1st Lt. Parker Mock, 365th Engineer Company officer in charge during the event. “Northern Strike provides soldiers with realistic, large-scale training in an [immersive] environment, allowing them to integrate with joint and partner forces while employing emerging technologies and capabilities.”

Service members assigned to the 428th Combat Engineer Company-Infantry also worked with industry partners to learn about emerging engineer technologies. Later in the week, soldiers began planning and preparing for urban operations at the Combined Arms Collective Training Facility at Camp Grayling. 

Moving from one event to another required soldiers to apply different skills and work through changing mission requirements. 

“Northern Strike prepares soldiers for real-world missions by replicating the complexity and pace of today’s operational environment,” Mock said. “This experience develops adaptable, disciplined and mission-ready soldiers who are better prepared to operate and win in large-scale combat operations.” 

By the end of the week, the soldiers had trained in the air and water, worked with protective equipment, conducted live demolitions and prepared for operations in an urban setting. The different events allowed the engineers to practice their technical skills while seeing how their work supports other elements on the battlefield.