Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center
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| Part of Michigan Air National Guard (MI ANG) | |
Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center Main Gate
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 Alpena CRTC
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| Coordinates | 45°05′10″N 083°34′25″W / 45.08611°N 83.57361°W |
| Type | Training Center |
| Site information | |
| Owner |  United States Air Force |
| Controlled by | Air National Guard |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1940 |
| In use | 1941–1945; 1954 – present |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison |  Michigan Air National Guard |
The Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC) is a special training place for the Michigan Air National Guard. It is located about 7.1 miles (11.4 km) west-northwest of Alpena, Michigan. This center helps prepare military members and emergency responders for important missions.
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What is the Alpena CRTC?
The Alpena CRTC is a training center that is open all year. It offers great support, facilities, and a huge airspace for training. Many different groups use it, including the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and other countries' forces. Emergency responders also train here.
A Unique Training Spot
This center is one of only four Combat Readiness Training Centers in the United States. It has the largest airspace east of the Mississippi River. There are also 147,000 acres of land for ground training. More than 20,000 military and international personnel train here every year.
The Alpena CRTC is also certified as a Joint National Training Center. This means it can train different branches of the military to work together. It even has a special simulator for training Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs).
The Alpena County Regional Airport shares its runways with the CRTC. This allows both civilian and military planes to use the airport.
History of Alpena CRTC
The Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center has a long and interesting history. It was once known as Phelps Collins Field. Before the airport was built, this area was famous for its many blueberries. Early pilots liked the flat, open land for landing their planes.
How the Airport Started
In the early 1900s, local leaders saw the need for an airport. Harry and Philip Fletcher, along with Robert Scott and James McQuarrie, helped make the plan. They donated land for the airport.
Workers from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) helped clear the land. They leveled the ground to create the first landing area. This area later became part of the main runway we see today.
On August 31, 1931, the airport was officially named Captain Phelps Collins Field. This honored Phelps Collins, a local hero from World War I. He joined the French Air Service in 1917 and later the American 103d Aero Squadron. He died defending Paris in 1918. Michigan's Governor Wilber M. Brucker flew in for the dedication. This made it Michigan's first state-owned airport.
The first hangar, a stone building, was finished in 1937. It could hold four planes.
Early Military Training
By the late 1930s, military groups from Selfridge Field began using the airfield for training. They practiced flying and gunnery. At first, they stayed in tents at the Alpena County Fairgrounds. This was the start of military training at the site, which continues today.
In 1940, hundreds of men from Selfridge trained here. They used planes like the Seversky P-35 and later the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk and Lockheed P-38 Lightning.
World War II Era
During World War II, the need for training grew. The field was taken over by the government and became Alpena Army Airfield. Construction began in 1942. They built three concrete runways, each over a mile long. Housing for 2,000 people, mess halls, and a hospital were also built. The base grew to 2,500 acres.
The base was used to train transport pilots. It also helped prepare Republic P-47 Thunderbolt planes for overseas missions. Later, it became a maintenance center for B-24 Liberator bombers. These bombers were made by Ford Motor Company in Michigan. They were sent to Alpena for updates before going to war.
After the War
In 1946, the base was no longer needed by the military. It became the Alpena County Regional Airport. Many buildings were sold off, and some were even moved to become homes in Alpena.
Air National Guard Takes Over
By 1952, plans were made for the Air National Guard (ANG) to share the airport. The ANG began new construction, building barracks and dining halls. The north-south runway was made longer, reaching 8,000 feet.
In the 1960s, taxiways were extended, and an air traffic control tower was added. The Grayling Air-to-Ground Gunnery Range was also built nearby. This range allowed planes to practice gunnery and bombing. This greatly increased the value of the base for training.
In 1991, the site was renamed the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC). This new name better described its mission of "combat training."
After Wurtsmith Air Force Base closed in 1993, the CRTC took on more tasks. It began running an Air National Guard Medical Readiness Training School. This school trained medical units for field operations.
New buildings were constructed and old ones were updated in the 1990s. A new dining hall, fire station, and dormitories were part of the plan.
In 2000, the CRTC added a Fire Training Site and a "MOUT City" (Military Operations in Urban Terrain). These areas allow firefighters and law enforcement to practice in realistic settings.
Modern Training and Exercises
The CRTC's main job is to train ANG units. However, other military branches like the Air Force, Army, Navy Seals, and Marines also train here. Even military groups from Latvia and Italy have trained at the site.
The CRTC also helps non-profit groups. You might see canine (dog) training or emergency response drills happening. Youth programs like Civil Air Patrol Cadets and Boy Scouts of America also use the facility.
Since 2012, the Alpena CRTC has hosted a large exercise called Northern Strike. This exercise brings together different parts of the U.S. military and other nations. They train together to prepare for future challenges. This includes practicing close air support and emergency response.
In 2017, Captain Brett DeVries safely landed an A-10 plane at the Alpena Regional County Airport after its canopy came off and landing gear failed.
During Northern Strike 2021, the CRTC hosted the MQ-9 Reaper, an unmanned aircraft. The U.S. Air Force also tested a new "Ground Based Detect and Avoid system" here.
In 2021, the U.S. Air Force made history by landing aircraft on a U.S. highway for the first time. This operation happened at the Alpena CRTC. It showed that the Air Force can operate from unusual locations if needed. Four A-10 Thunderbolt IIs and two C-146 Wolfhounds landed on the highway.
The Alpena CRTC also hosted Exercise Mobility Guardian in 2021. This exercise tested how quickly the U.S. Air Force can move people and equipment in tough situations. It also practiced refueling and rearming aircraft in a combat environment.
The Winter Strike 2022 Exercise took place at the Grayling Range. This was a joint exercise between the Michigan Air National Guard and the Latvian military. It helped units train in demanding winter weather conditions.
See Also
- Alpena County Regional Airport
Images for kids
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Emblem of the Air Defense Command.
