An A-10 Thunderbolt II prepares to land at the Alpena

An A-10 Thunderbolt II prepares to land at the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center in Alpena, Michigan, Aug. 6, 2016. The aircraft, flown by the 107th Fighter Squadron, Michigan Air National Guard, flew from its home station of Selfridge Air National Guard Base, to the Alpena CRTC to participate in Northern Strike 2016. Northern Strike 16 is a National Guard Bureau-sponsored exercise uniting approximately 5,000 Army, Air Force, Marine, and Special Forces service members from 20 states and three coalition countries during the first three weeks of August 2016 at the Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center and the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, both located in northern Michigan. The exercise strives to provide accessible, readiness-building opportunities for military units from all service branches to achieve and sustain proficiency in conducting mission command, air, sea, and ground maneuver integration, and the synchronization of fires in a joint, multinational, decisive action environment. (Michigan National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Dan Heaton/Released)