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CAMP GRUBER, Okla. – More than 170 Airmen with the Oklahoma and Minnesota Air National Guard put their skills to the test in a simulated contested environment during Exercise Thunderwolf, Camp Gruber Training Center, Oklahoma, April 29, 2026.
Exercise Thunderwolf embedded traditional engineering installation projects with simulated real-world operational threats, forcing them to balance the technical precision of fiber optic splicing and tower and vehicle maintenance with the immediate demands of force protection, drone surveillance, chemical hazards and enemy combatants.
“I would encourage more squadrons to do this,” said an engineering installation Airman with the 137th Special Operations Wing. “Not everyone gets the chance to experience what it would be like on an actual deployment.”
The train-as-you-fight model ensures that Airmen are as proficient with their defensive tactics as they are with their specialized machinery.
“You don't get a second chance when you're out there,” said 205th Engineering Installation Squadron Commander Lieutenant Col. Dennie French, Oklahoma Air National Guard. “These are the times to learn and to make mistakes and better ourselves."
Embedding both units into the same high-pressure scenarios during Exercise Thunderwolf allowed the Airmen to iron out logistical and tactical friction points before mobilizing.
| Date Taken: | 12.31.1969 |
| Date Posted: | 06.06.2026 12:04 |
| Story ID: | 564244 |
| Location: | CAMP GRUBER, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 11 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Oklahoma and Minnesota Airmen conduct joint readiness training for Exercise Thunderwolf, by TSgt Caitlin Carnes, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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