Annual Training Session at Volk Field Comes to an End

Volk Field’s Combat Readiness Training Center recently hosted over 1,000 service members from almost 25 units across the nation for Northern Lightning. This annual two-week training exercise prepares pilots for threats utilizing fourth and fifth-generation fighters.

“The challenges that Northern Lightning brought are amazing,” commented Lt. Col. Michael Fisher, the Commanding Officer for Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 311. “There was surface-to-air, air-to-air, and other adversarial assets that create that challenging environment that we may face one day.”

The Northern Lightning exercise started small scale in the early 2000s and later expanded in 2015. It is one out of seven accredited Air National Guard joint exercises conducted at Volk Field, which offers 40,000 cubic miles of airspace. This allows more complex training maneuvers, such as joint aerial refueling, to be tested and perfected.

The 2024 Northern Lightning session was attended by the U.S. Air Force, Army, and Marines along with their respective Reserve and National Guard counterparts. They utilized a diverse fleet, including Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 180th Fighter Wing, Air Force F-35A Lightning II from the 115th Fighter Wing, and Marine Corps F-35C Lightning II from the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 311. The integration of these fourth and fifth gen fighters prepares service members for modern aerial warfare.

The exercise was available to not only military pilots, but also firefighters and engineers.

“It is as close as we can get to combat with an advancing or pacing threat,” Fisher continued. “Everyone brings something specific and unique to the fight. Now we are here collaborating and creating the best, most advanced package that we can.”

FMI: www.volkfield.ang.af.mil