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News from the Oklahoma National Guard

NEWS | Aug. 16, 2024

Thunderbird artillery takes aim at Northern Strike 2024

By Cpl. Danielle Rayon, Video by Sgt. Haden Tolbert

GRAYLING, Mich. – Artillerymen with the Oklahoma Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 160th Field Artillery Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, tested their mettle at Northern Strike 2024 at Camp Grayling, Michigan, August 3-17, 2024.
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VIDEO | 01:30 | Thunderbird artillery takes aim at Northern Strike 2024

The annual event is a National Guard Bureau-sponsored exercise that brings together units from multiple states and partner countries. It aims to enhance joint and combined warfighting capabilities in a multi-domain environment.

The 1-160th FA played a key role in this year's exercise, conducting critical training to hone their speed and accuracy on the M199 105mm howitzer and M777 towed 155mm howitzer. The regiment executed near-constant fire missions, sending over 3,400 rounds downrange throughout the exercise.

“These readiness exercises are crucial and vital to our success and readiness in order to provide direct support (and) build artillery to the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in any type of environment, anywhere in the world,” said Lt. Col. Brent Hill, battalion commander for the 1-160 FA.
Members of Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 160th Field Artillery Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard, load an M777 towed 155mm howizter during Exercise Northern Strike 2024, Camp Grayling, Michigan, Aug. 11, 2024. NS 24-2 is a premier reserve component training event that focuses on joint readiness training to build interoperability and strengthen partnerships in an all-domain environment. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Cpl. Danielle Rayon)
SLIDESHOW | 5 images | 240811-Z-IN656-1005 Members of Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 160th Field Artillery Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard, load an M777 towed 155mm howizter during Exercise Northern Strike 2024, Camp Grayling, Michigan, Aug. 11, 2024. NS 24-2 is a premier reserve component training event that focuses on joint readiness training to build interoperability and strengthen partnerships in an all-domain environment. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Cpl. Danielle Rayon)

NS 24-2 also provides opportunities for United States military units from all branches to work with international partners from around the world, including the 1-160th FA who conducted training alongside the British Armed Forces.

“It's a collaboration of different forces, whether it be different regiments or different countries, to see how they can work together on different exercises for future reference,” said Gnr. Alex Bell, assigned to 212nd Battery, 105th Regiment, Royal Artillery, British Army. “If we were to ever be deployed together, we can see that we can work together as a single unit. We'd be able to integrate really well. It builds relationships between the different countries and the different units.”

Artillerymen from both countries found many similarities in the way they conducted operations, with only a small communication obstacle to overcome.

“One of the guys that's come up with us, he's from Northern Ireland, so he's got a very broad Irish accent and he's actually had to slow himself down a little bit just so people can understand him a little better,” Bell said with a chuckle. “It’s about learning the different relationships between the different countries and different forces, and we've kind of been practicing each other's words and phrases, which has been a lot of fun actually.”

Oklahoma Guardsmen noted that troops from both countries worked smoothly and efficiently together, each learning and improving techniques from the other.

“I think it's been fantastic,” said Staff Sgt. Justin Zacharias, a cannon crewmember assigned to Bravo Battery, 1-160th FA. “These guys have been working super hard for us. As soon as they came in, they melted right in. Really and truly, they've been awesome for us.”

These types of joint and multi-national training exercises also provide a unique opportunity for the OKNG’s junior leaders to flex their leadership skills in a simulated, large-scale combat operations environment.

“We've seen a lot of crew chiefs really going the extra mile to train their crews,” Hill said. “Leadership at the lowest level is what we have to have. That's why the NCO’s are an absolute integral part, an important part of the Army—they are the backbone, and we showed that here.”

Exercises like Northern Strike are crucial in ensuring that the Oklahoma National Guard remains a trained and ready force.

“In this exercise, we have a little bit more urgency to stay tactical, make sure we're joint, try to stay pretty light on the ground, having quickness and getting data and delivering rounds down range,” Zacharias said. “It's about getting proficient with the shooting. We stay safe while we're making other people safe.”

Through the challenges and unique opportunities of NS 24-2, Oklahoma artillerymen gained critical real-world experience in combat operations while working alongside allied partners to build and maintain a ready force for today’s battlefield.

“I think our Soldiers take away a lot of leadership experience,” Hill said. “They got a lot of sets of reps. They built their confidence and we were able to come through and successfully complete the mission here at Camp Grayling.”
Video by Sgt. Haden Tolbert
Thunderbird Challenge Program teaches cadets no obstacle too big to overcome
Oklahoma National Guard
Oct. 25, 2024 | 1:23
The Thunderbird Challenge Program is a 22-week tuition-free military program for Oklahoma students in need of school credit recovery. The program uses the structure and discipline of the military to support cadets while they attend high school classes, GED classes as well as learn job skills and life coping skills.

While at Camp Gruber Training Center, Thunderbird cadets took on the same obstacle course that Soldiers taking part in Air Assault School, best warrior competitions and pre-mobilization training face.

The cadets also faced off with one another in pugil stick bouts supervised by TCP cadre, and some cadets had the opportunity to rappel from CGTC’s 40-foot rappel tower. (Oklahoma National Guard video by Sgt. Haden Tolbert)

CG:
00:15:08
Traci Johnson
Commandant of Cadets, Thunderbird Challenge Program

00:34:27
Marissa Treat
Thunderbird Challenge Program Cadet
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