“Given the infrastructure at Selfridge and at our northern Michigan training facilities in Alpena and Grayling, it just makes sense, both operationally and fiscally, to base the F-35 in Michigan.”
– Maj. Gen. Gregory J. Vadnais, the adjutant general of Michigan
Securing the Next 100 Years
Selfridge is hosted by the Michigan Air National Guard’s 127th Wing, a complete global reaching warfighting package highly demanded by combatant commanders. The wing’s A-10s, KC-135s & support personnel Stand Ready to answer any mission call. With a history of flying fighter aircraft, and a supporting community that dates back 100 years, Selfridge ANGB is primed to “Stand Ready” for the next generation with the F-35 Lightning II aircraft.
Read The Selfridge AdvantageThe Michigan Network
Selfridge Air National Guard Base (ANGB) is one of the nation’s busiest, most diverse and most advanced military installations. Located north of Detroit on the shore of Lake Saint Clair, Selfridge ANGB is a Joint Military Community whose major tenants include the Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard, and Customs & Border Protection.
Given the infrastructure at Selfridge and at our northern Michigan training facilities in Alpena and Grayling, we are confident that it is in the best interest of the nation, both operationally and fiscally, to locate the F-35 Lightning II at Selfridge
Camp Grayling
Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center is a full-spectrum, four-season joint maneuver training center which enables military commanders and civilian leaders to meet their unit readiness requirements. Large artillery, mortar, tank ranges and maneuver courses are among the highlights of Camp Grayling. The camp is home to the Grayling Army Air Field and to the Grayling Air Gunnery Range, which features over 147,000 acres of joint use maneuver and impact range space with multiple village and urban areas with over 200 live and dry targets. The camp is located in Northern Michigan five minutes off from I-75. Approximately three hours northwest of Detroit via I-75 and five northeast of Chicago via I-96 and US-131.
Alpena CRTC
With 147,000 acres of land available for ground maneuver and the largest piece of air space east of the Mississippi, the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center in northeast Michigan provides the Great Lakes State with a unique and valuable asset for the warfighter. On any given day at Alpena, a visitor is likely to see a visiting fighter squadron preparing to launch “livefire missions” at the nearby Grayling Air Gunnery Range; firefighters battling a blaze in the aircraft fire simulator; security forces personnel at the small arms range or urban warfare training center. One of only four such locations in the Air Force, the Alpena CRTC annually hosts upwards of 38,000 visiting personnel per year.
Fort Custer
Fort Custer’s training facilities, located just outside Battle Creek along I-94, are used by the Michigan National Guard and other branches of the armed forces, primarily from Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana. Fort Custer is home to the 177th Regiment, Regional Training Institute, and the Regional Maintenance Training Site. Fort Custer offers a state-of-the-art distance learning center, barracks and dining facilities for visiting units, and plenty of training areas.
Battle Creek ANGB
Located adjacent to Fort Custer just outside Battle Creek, the base is home to the 110th Attack Wing, which recently transitioned to a Remotely-Piloted Aircraft mission, operated MQ-9 Reaper aircraft. The base is also home to the 217th Air Operations Group, which provides command and control functions for U.S. Air Forces Africa Command. Battle Creek provides distinct capabilities in the cyber, emergency response and operational planning arenas.
Show Your Support
If you would like to show your support for basing the F-35 at Selfridge ANGB, click the button below to sign the petition!
