A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft from the 191st Air Refueling Group at the downstate Selfridge Air National Guard Base arrives at Sawyer International Airport on Monday in support of Agile Combat Employment training as multi-capable Airmen during the Northern Agility 22-1 exercise. Northern Agility 22-1 tests the rapid insertion of an Air Expeditionary Wing into a bare-base environment to establish logistics and communications and enhance the ability to operate in austere environments. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Air National Guard Master Sgt. Scott Thompson)

From the Michigan

National Guard

K.I. SAWYER — U.S. Air Force KC-135 aircraft from the 127th Wing at the downstate Selfridge Air National Guard Base arrived Monday at Sawyer International Airport to kick off Northern Agility 22-1, a joint, total-force Agile Combat Employment exercise led by the Michigan Air National Guard.

Upon arrival, the tankers performed wet-wing defuel operations, with support from U.S. Army Soldiers from the Michigan National Guard’s 3-238th General Support Aviation Battalion, Grand Ledge Aviation Support Facility.

A wet-wing defuel transfers fuel from the wings of an aircraft to either another expeditionary fuel bladder or a fuel truck while the engines run. A refueling aircraft can land in an austere environment, offload fuel using the aircraft pumps and take off with minimal time on the ground. Wet-wing refueling is often used for contingency operations under the U.S. Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment doctrine.

“Agile Combat Employment is the ability to project airpower anytime, anywhere, in order to stay one step ahead of our adversaries,” said Lt. Col. Brian Wyrzykowski, lead operations planner for Northern Agility 22-1. “It’s about being able to execute missions quickly and in unpredictable ways.”

Today, Northern Agility 22-1 is expected to showcase A-10 Thunderbolt II, Air Force Special Operations Command MC-12W, C-145A, C-146A and U-28A aircraft conducting Agile Combat Employment operations on a closed portion of M-28 east of Munising. For the first time ever during highway-based operations, maintenance crews will then perform a series of Integrated Combat Turns, which enable the quick rearming and refueling of a running jet to reduce the aircrew’s ground time and get them back into the air.

During Northern Agility 22-1, the Kelly Johnson Joint All-Domain Innovation Center will also team with industry partners to demonstrate numerous technologies for augmented reality to enhance the multi-capable Airman concept, rapid integration of the Command & Control ecosystem, Synthetic Aperture Radar, Advanced Threat Detection and Visualization and other capabilities.

“Northern Agility 22-1 would not be possible without the long-term partnerships that exist between the Michigan National Guard and the Michigan State Police, Michigan Department of Transportation, Alger County Sheriff’s Office and of course, support from our neighbors in the Upper Peninsula. We are beyond grateful for their cooperation and flexibility to make this event happen,” Wyrzykowski said. “This is an extraordinary training opportunity for our Airmen delivered by the unwavering support of patriotic Michiganders. On behalf of a grateful Michigan Air National Guard, we can’t say thank you enough.”