Photo By Master Sgt. Chelsea FitzPatrick | Airmen with the 127th Maintenance Group, Michigan Air National Guard, stand by to...... read more read more
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Approximately 30 Airmen from the 127th Maintenance Group, Michigan Air National Guard, broke new ground this summer when they successfully completed a combat turn on an A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft in complete darkness, using night-vision goggles. The milestone, accomplished Aug. 6, 2025, at the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, marked the first time an Air National Guard maintenance unit performed the combat operation entirely using NVGs.
“This is about pushing our capabilities forward,” 2nd Lt. Joseph DiGiovanni, a weapons officer assigned to the 127th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, said. “If we can turn an A-10 in the dark, with NVGs, it means we’re ready to keep these aircraft in the fight no matter the environment.”
An integrated combat turn allows an aircraft to be received, refueled, rearmed and relaunched in minimal time: keeping fighters in the fight for longer periods. Conducting the maneuver with night-vision goggles expands the “Agile Combat Employment,” team’s ability to operate in contested or degraded environments.
The successful ICT was the culmination of a training event designed to enhance the skills of Airmen responsible for key ACE tasks, performed under low or zero-light conditions. In addition to the combat turn, participants familiarized themselves with munitions loading, aircraft marshaling, radio use and combat medical skills, all in darkness. The Alpena CRTC provided the austere setting for the proof-of-concept, giving the ACE Team a realistic environment to test its tactics.
For Airman 1st Class Austin Finley, his first training experience at Alpena CRTC set the bar high for both his career and his unit’s potential.
“Coming in new, I didn’t know what to expect, but the older guys have taken the time to help me out,” Finley said. “That kind of support motivates me to keep pushing forward.”
Only two years into his career, Finley earned a seat with the elite group of maintainers from various areas of aircraft support. The ACE Team has championed many firsts in recent years, including landing and relaunching the first military aircraft on a domestic U.S. highway in 2021, conducting the first ICT on a domestic U.S. highway in 2022 and receiving and relaunching in the first MC-130J Command II and MQ-9 Reaper aircraft on a domestic highway in 2023.
“If this is the kind of training I get to do right away, it feels like the sky is the limit for my future,” Finley said.
The successful trial underscores the 127th Wing’s role in advancing ACE concepts as the Air Force modernizes to meet future threats. Now, team leaders are writing manuals on the specialized night-vision ICT operations for the rest of the Air Force. The guidance includes both a recommended curriculum and best practices to get fighters and attack aircraft ready to return to the fight, navigating land while on foot at night, providing medical care to battlefield casualties, defending the location with weapons, securing their position and many other skillsets.
“Agile combat employment is about being unpredictable and resilient,” said DiGiovanni. “Executing a combat turn under night-vision conditions pushes us closer to that goal and demonstrates that our people are lethal and ready for tomorrow’s fight.”
| Date Taken: | 08.09.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.09.2025 15:49 |
| Story ID: | 547694 |
| Location: | ALPENA, MICHIGAN, US |
| Web Views: | 36 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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Selfridge Air National Guard Base
