Soldiers with the Florida Army National Guard's 3-265th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, based out of Sarasota, Florida, install Individual Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System (MILES) gear on vehicles at Fort Polk's Joint Readiness Training Center March 10, 2026. MILES gear is a laser-based, force-on-force training tool used to simulate combat. It consists of lights and sensors attached at various points on a vehicle, laser transmitters attached to actual weapons, and a speaker unit, all of which register hits from simulated fire. The unit will spend the coming weeks participating in realistic, high-intensity training scenarios to prepare for real-world combat operations.
The Florida National Guard completed an impressive training rotation at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California between July and August of this Summer. The movement to Fort Irwin, California was the result of over a year and a half of preparation, multiple missions and served as the largest logistical operation by the FLARNG since World War II.
The National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, California, challenges Florida Army National Guard (FLARNG) Soldiers as they conduct pre-deployment training.
