Cpl. Ethan Whitfield from Rincon, Georgia, hands a

Cpl. Ethan Whitfield from Rincon, Georgia, hands a rifle to Lance Cpl. Joseph McGinnis from Port Orange, Florida. All while Sgt. Josh Sammons from Palm Coast, Florida, the crew chief writes a manifest August 8, 2017. They are all part of the 4th Assault Amphibious Battalion from Jacksonville, Florida, who are at the Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center performing their annual training. Northern Strike 17 is a National Guard Bureau-sponsored exercise uniting approximately 5,000 service members from 13 states and five coalition countries during the first two weeks of August 2017 at the Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center and the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, both located in northern Michigan and operated by the Michigan National Guard. The newly accredited NS17 demonstrates the Michigan National Guard’s ability 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, together with the synchronization of fires in a joint, multinational, decisive action environment. (Michigan National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Tegan Kucera)