By CyberOman
On September 2nd 2021 a story emerged on several websites that there were Chinese troops that had been brought from Canada to Camp Grayling Michigan in the northern region of the lower peninsular and they were training under the supervision of the UN. Â Jellyfish.News & Caravan To Midnight dispatched an investigative journalist to the area to see if we could determine if this story is correct and to see for ourselves what if any activity was occurring at Camp Grayling. You can see images our team took during this investigation accompanying this article.
Background info about Camp Grayling:
The Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center at Grayling, Michigan is the largest National Guard training facility in the United States.
Camp Grayling supports the summer and winter Northern Strike joint exercises, and National Guard Exportable Combat Training Center Exercises. Camp Grayling provides premier facilities including a Combined Arms Collective Training Facility, two impact areas for indirect fire and aerial weapon systems up to 500-pounds, and three live-fire shoot houses. Specialized facilities include the Maneuver Area Training Equipment Site for pooled equipment, Multipurpose Range Complex capable of armor/crew served weapons and Combined Live Fire Exercise, and an Army Airfield with two 5,000-foot runways.
This year Britain, Liberia and Latvian soldiers participated in Northern Strike 21 exercises at Camp Grayling as well as soldiers from state units based in the US. Northern Strike 21 ran from July 31, 2021 through August 14, 2021 at the National All-Domain Warfighting Center. This year’s iteration featured approximately 5,100 participants.
About Northern Strike:
Northern Strike 21Â Â Â https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/NorthernStrike21
Conducted July 31, 2021 through 14 August 2021 at the National All-Domain Warfighting Center.
https://minationalguard.dodlive.mil/NADWC/Northern-Strike/
Our Findings Upon Investigation:
Driving north towards Grayling Michigan we observed no troop movements, no convoys of military vehicles or any other signs of any activities heading towards Grayling or in or around the town.
Arriving in the town of Grayling Michigan we began by driving throughout the town to see if we could locate any troops or military vehicles in the area. We found no signs of troops foreign or domestic within the town of Grayling and continued on to Camp Grayling located just 3 miles outside of the town of Grayling. Before leaving Grayling, we stopped by the local VFW post but again saw no signs of active military near or at the post. We took a few images at the post of the military vehicles on display outside the post and they are included in this article.
Arriving at the entrance to Camp Grayling things appeared very quiet with no signs of any active troops or activity. We did note a few civilian vehicles outside the entrance gate at the camp, two of which were vehicles from DK Security based in Grand Rapids Michigan. Apparently, the camp uses DK Security at the entrance gates of the facility as part of their onsite security staff.
We then proceeded to drive the main roads as well as side roads around the camp seeking any activity behind the cordoned off security perimeters of the facility.
While traversing the surrounding roads we encountered a group of locals consisting of couples and individuals in their Jeeps who had been off-roading on land adjacent to Camp Grayling. We stopped to talk to several members of this group and see if they had any reports or sightings of possible foreign troops training on the grounds of Camp Grayling.
We were told no, there had not been any recent activities or movements of military vehicles or troops seen in the area in and around the camp. Once person I spoke with stated he traveled the main road which adjoins the edge of the base almost everyday and had seen no such activity.
Our team on the ground also noted that there was no noise around the camp, no sounds of munitions fire, no sounds indicating troops were training within the facility and no sounds of any military vehicle movements.
In recent years there have been reports (unconfirmed) of Camp Grayling hosting Foreign UN Troops who were practicing in Urban Assault On American Type Towns within the camp confines as well as again unconfirmed reports of Camp Grayling being a known FEMA camp where Army Reservists were training to be sent to Guantanamo. Stories have also surfaced over the years with pictures that appear to show the camp as a FEMA camp but again unconfirmed and from what I can surmise from speaking with National Guardsmen were pictures of an MP training facility used for POW training during routine exercises. Camp Grayling routinely hosts/provides training facilities & ranges for regional LEO agencies as well as State National Guard exercises and foreign troop exercises as well.
Reports have been surfacing for years about Camp Grayling and yet none have been confirmed or denied. Which leads me to believe most if not all of these reports are speculation and to be honest âfear pornâ to stir up the masses.
Another recent story of note related to the Northern Michigan area is the recent landing and training exercises of Four Air Force A-10 Warthogs, along with two C-146 transport aircraft, landing on a closed-off portion of Michigan State Highway M-32 as part of a training exercise designed to test how well airmen can work without a big air base supporting them.
This story as well has caused some anxiety levels to rise as people who witnessed these huge aircraft landing on this Michigan highway wondered if there was anything suspicious about this event. The article below refers to this recent landing and why it was done. Also below is the direct link to the press release put out about these A-10 landing exercises.
RELATED STORY:
Air Force A-10s just made a âhighway to the danger zoneâ in Michigan
https://taskandpurpose.com/news/air-force-a-10-warthog-michigan-highway/
Quoting from the article above: âThis is believed to be the first time in history that modern Air Force aircraft have intentionally landed on a civilian roadway on U.S. soil,â said Air Force Col. James Rossi, commander of the nearby Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, in a recent press release.
Link to Press Release:
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/402129/michigan-air-guard-make-history-with-landing-exercise-near-alpena
Our Conclusions Post Investigation:
To sum up our report on Camp Grayling and the aforementioned story of Chinese troops training there I would note that from all appearances on the ground this story of troops training there is inconclusive and appears to be more âfear pornâ. Yes, the facility is used for training of US troops, Michigan National Guard troops and foreign troops from various other countries.
Do we feel there is anything notorious about these training exercises? I answer that question with a resounding ânoâ.
We welcome comments from Michigan residents living in this area on any activity they observe but I would not be too worried about this recent report.
Below are a couple more articles referencing training exercises that have been held at Camp Grayling in recent months.
Related Stories:
NEWS | Sept. 14, 2021Â Â Â Â Texas Army National Guard’s 36th Sustainment Brigade
Texas National Guard conducts validation exercise during NS
Soldiers with the 294th Quartermaster Company, 338th Quartermaster Company, Texas Army National Guard, the 3rd Special Forces Group, soldiers with the Latvian Armyâs Special Forces Group and British Armyâs 4th Battalion, Parachute Regiment (4 PARA), jump out of a C-130 Hercules aircraft over Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center, Grayling, Michigan, Aug. 13, 2021. The service members conducted joint airborne training during Northern Strike 21.”
https://media.defense.gov/2021/Sep/14/2002853176/825/780/0/210813-Z-FY465-1068.JPG
NEWS | Aug. 12, 2021Â Â Â Â New Hampshire Guard radar operators train at Northern Strike
New Hampshire Guard radar operators train at Northern Strike
Soldiers with the 197th Field Artillery Brigade, New Hampshire Army National Guard, set up their AN/TPQ-53 Firefinder Radar during Northern Strike 21, Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center, Grayling, Michigan, Aug. 8, 2021.
Field artillery firefinder radar operators honed their skills to detect enemy fire during Northern Strike 21-2 at Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center.
https://media.defense.gov/2021/Aug/12/2002833159/825/780/0/210811-Z-LI010-1002.JPG
Northern Michigan hosting major combat readiness training with thousands of soldiers
Published: Jul. 21, 2021 at 1:06 PM EDT
Out of country troops to visit Camp Grayling  July 20, 2021
Excellent report and a big thanks to the Investigative team for putting the rumors to bed, at least for now…
Case closed, we’ll done brother!