Riverwisedetroit.org (Fall 2025)

02/12/2026

The militarization of Michigan, of the land, of fresh water, has been ongoing for years. Now it’s being put on steroids. There are consequences. The iconic Au Sable River and Lake Margrethe are both contaminated with PFAS, “forever chemicals” from military activities around Camp Grayling. Impacted residents who need filters to be able to drink their well water today hope to have access to municipal water in 2026.

Efforts to capitalize on increasingly hefty federal budgets by further militarizing the state became more visible in April 2024 when Governor Gretchen Whitmer officially launched the Office of Defense and Aerospace Innovation. “Michigan is all-in on defense,” she remarked. (This was before the Trump administration restored the Department of Defense back to its original, refreshingly honest name, the Department of War.)

In April, Saab, the Swedish car company, broke ground on a new $75 million munitions plant in Grayling, home of the largest National Guard training facility in the nation. Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Representative Jack Bergman were there. “Sometimes you do the work, and sometimes it takes a little while to see the fruit of your labor, but this is something that makes so much sense for our economy, this community, and I think for Michigan broadly. We are growing our defense sector,” said the Governor. The new facility, which received substantial financial incentives and substantial opposition from local residents, is expected to start producing close combat and precision fire weapons systems in 2026. This will be Saab’s 10th facility in the United States. Saab is a sponsor of the AuSable Canoe Marathon and the AuSable River Festival, associating war with summer fun. The company’s website says the company’s mission is to “keep people and society safe.”

Have you heard of the Michigan National All-Domain Warfighting Center? This umbrella term was introduced in 2020 to integrate the operations of various military installations around the state: the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, Battle Creek Air National Guard Base, Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center, and Selfridge Air National Guard Base. The All-Domain Warfighting Center brand offers the means to market the state’s capabilities to the industry. Its stated intent is to dominate all domains of life.

Known as Northern Strike, the U.S. Department of War’s two-week annual readiness exercises took place in northern Michigan in August. It’s a very big event, including more than 7,500 participants representing 36 states and territories, along with nine international partners. A quick look at a Facebook page called Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center will demonstrate the enthusiasm for state-of-the-art equipment that is increasingly lethal, traumatizing, and costly. On August 15, 500-pound bombs were dropped on the land. Examples of comments on the Facebook page included these: https://www.facebook.com/reel/812078268418695

• I have 10 acres… if I give you the coordinates, can you make me a new pond?!
• I love hearing the Sounds of Freedom shaking my house
• FINALLY, I’M IN THE AREA FOR THE A10, AND I GET TO FEEL THE 500LBS AGAIN? LETS GOOOO
• This comment section is 100% America! Love to see it!

Northern Strike ended on a celebratory note with entertainment, ice cream, the national anthem, and fireworks that evoke bombs bursting in air. Photos showed the feeling of teamwork, camaraderie, and excitement of being part of something bigger than oneself and having the power to control the world stage.

A network of relationships ensures close collaboration between government, military, industry, and academia. It includes the Michigan Chapter of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) with its approximately 1,700 members. Each year, the association rents the sprawling Sports & Expo Center of Macomb Community College’s South Campus in Warren for its annual expo. The school has relationships that promote and link students to career opportunities related to the military and war. (If you’re wondering whether there is a comparable network that works to avoid war by investing in mutually beneficial relationships among equals and the common good, I’m not aware of one. There’s no money in it.)

In April, a new F15-EX fighter mission for Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County was announced. The Governor said, “This is a huge, bipartisan win for Michigan, decades in the making, that will grow our economy and make our country safer. Since day one, I’ve been laser-focused on securing a new fighter mission….” President Trump announced that approximately 20 F-15EXs will be stationed at Selfridge in addition to the KC-46As the base will receive.

Elected officials from both major political parties and their major donors agree: war is good for business. It also enforces domination and control abroad. (Militarized borders, detention facilities, and prisons are also profitable and enforce domination and control at home.) The U.S. boasts of some 750 military bases in over 80 countries and territories. Military installations, activities, and war pollute water, air, and land. They further destabilize an increasingly unstable climate. The U.S. military is one of the largest consumers of energy in the world and one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases.