VOLK FIELD AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Wis. -- The 284th Air Support Operations Squadron, part of the 184th Wing, Kansas Air National Guard, participated in the Air National Guard’s Sentry North 26 at Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center, Wis., June 1 to June 12, 2026.
Sentry North, formerly known as Northern Lightning, is an annual, joint-military exercise designed to replicate realistic and contested combat environments, providing advanced training opportunities tailored to participating units’ mission requirements and objectives.
The exercise brought together more than 1,600 personnel from the Air National Guard, Air Force and Army National Guard across 21 units in 15 different states. Participants integrated more than 25 aircraft, including fighters and refuelers, in support of the exercise.
“Sentry North is where we can work with different assets and [opposing forces] we typically don’t get to [in] a normal environment,” an exercise participant said.
Sentry North places participants in contested environments featuring adversary aircraft, electronic jamming and simulated surface-to-air threats critical for preparing Airmen for threats and missions the nation faces. Volk Field provides a cost-effective venue for a realistic, large-scale training environment where units can integrate, train and execute diverse mission sets.
“Volk Field is a phenomenal CRTC that provides a centralized location capable of hosting a large training event for numerous career fields,” an exercise participant stated.
For the 284th ASOS, the exercise provided the opportunity to validate command and control capabilities while operating alongside other units and teams in a realistic combat training environment.
The 284th ASOS, alongside other ASOS units, played a critical role in the exercise by coordinating and communicating with fighter units on possible target locations. Operating in wooded and swampy terrain, the team maneuvered through challenging conditions while maintaining communications with required agencies and maintaining cover.
“Our team’s responsibility is to assist in command and control for the exercise while testing our ability to maneuver in the exercise area,” a 284th ASOS member said.
The exercise provides a place for all participating units to leverage their skill sets to assist and strengthen fellow teams and allowing them to integrate their tactics, techniques and procedures.
“Working with all the participating units provides insight on how other units conduct TTPs,” a 284th ASOS member explained. “This allows us to see best practices to take home and implement for future training iterations.”
