A group of U-M athletes braved the rainy weather on Friday for an unforgettable experience with the Michigan Army National Guard (MIARNG). Two members of the football program, linebackers Ernest Hausmann and Jaishawn Barham, were joined by eight members of the wrestling team – Joaquin Consuelos, Jaden Bullock, Lucas Davison, Sergio Lemley, Dylan Ragusin, Austin Gomez, Christian Tanefeu, and Wilfried Tanefeu.
The pack of Wolverines made the three hour trip north from Ann Arbor to Camp Grayling, where they spent the afternoon getting to know more about the Guard’s capabilities.
The Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center, located in Grayling, MI, is the largest National Guard training facility in the United States.
“It comprises 148,000 acres of four-seasons training lands, 337 square-km of restricted airspace, and up to 6000 Hz spectrum available. 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.”
The MIARNG also hosted nearly 500 high school students from around the state of Michigan, providing a hands-on experience to learn more about weapons capabilities, vehicle capabilities, and even the opportunity to fly multiple military drones. The annual event is designed to bring more awareness to what the MIARNG is all about, and it’s clear that the kids enjoyed the experience.
Over the last two years, the MIARNG has also capitalized on the new era of college athletics, utilizing NIL opportunities to reach a wider audience. Captain Jerred Johnson, who’s been with the MIARNG for over 22 years, has been leading in that effort.
“Utilizing NIL allows us to showcase the parallels between collegiate sports and the MI Army Guard,” said Captain Johnson. “The hard work, repetition of tasks, camaraderie and values required to build a strong cohesive successful team are the same. We get to show more people what we do through the power of these athletes and their influence on the Gen Z market. It also allows us to show athletes a unique side of the NIL arena, partnering together in doing community work to show that the Guard and the athletes are both community ambassadors.”
To close out the event, all ten U-M student athletes boarded two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters for a quick flight back to the Grand Ledge Armory, a facility that was recently part of a $100 million modernization project by the State of Michigan and Federal Government.
Winged Helmet Media attended the event on Friday, and was fortunate enough to tag along as the U-M student athletes enjoyed their first experience flying with the MIARNG. You can view a highlight video of that experience below.
