Military convoy through the UP.

I recently made a comment in this post about how in the Spring and Summer military traffic really picks up in Michigan.

Well, stopped for gas while running some errands and lo and behold, a military convoy! A few of the trucks had already passed me, heading east on US-2, before I got to the gas station. This is the Shell gas station at the west end of my town, Manistique. This was around 1030 in the morning and all I had was my cell phone. By the time I made it back to the station with the DSLR they had already pulled out.

Nothing suspicious going on, just thought I'd share the few pictures I snapped. My guess is they were headed towards either Camp Grayling or Fort Custer.

Thumbnails are links to the full resolution images.

a reply to: cmdrkeenkid

My guess is Fort Custer in Battle Creek.

We're bound to see them....how are they supposed to get from place to place? And we always see them year round up and around Grayling too....

MS (Michigan resident)

a reply to: mysterioustranger

Well, according to some, they should be solely using secret, underground tunnels that connect from Walmart to Walmart around the nation. Or so I've heard.

But really, like I said in the opening post, I didn't think anything malignant of it. Just thought it was cool to see, so I snapped some pictures to share.

177th Military Police Brigade.

Michigan National Guard.

Those are Brigade support vehicles, not front line MP vehicles.

It's normal for HQ's and maintenance to send the gear right away in spring so it's ready to used by the individual Companies throughout the summer.

This is why you see more convoys in the fall also, they're bringing the gear home for winter.

Could be weekend warriors going to camp. Were they national guard or military?

originally posted by: SteeBoo
177th Military Police Brigade.

Michigan National Guard.

Those are Brigade support vehicles, not front line MP vehicles.

It's normal for HQ's and maintenance to send the gear right away in spring so it's ready to used by the individual Companies throughout the summer.

This is why you see more convoys in the fall also, they're bringing the gear home for winter.

Same thing happens in Texas and pretty much at the same times of year. We see them rolling up and down the Interstates between different locations. National Guard and Army Reserve units and they're typically support vehicles, earth moving equipment, supply trucks and Humvees and fuel trucks and more supply trucks and such.

No big deal really except for the fact that they pretty much crawl along at a snails pace. We also see them moving M1A2 Abrams Tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles moving about on trains. They rotate equipment out of Europe for maintenance through the Port at Beaumont Texas. We see the old ones coming in and shiny new ones going out. (or refurbished). Sometimes we see them moving those same vehicles out of San Antonio to points west, for training exercises I suppose in the vast desert expanses of West Texas.

No big deal here.

Well it's a safe bet they aren't going to Kincheloe Air Force Base in the UP, it's closed now. How do I know, I was born there.

a reply to: SteeBoo

Awesome! Thanks for identifying what I saw and what they were up to.

I don't recall any convoys like this one passing through town last winter. We're right off US-2, so when stuff is going by it tends to catch my eye. But we were doing a lot of back-and-forth from here to the Detroit area then too, so we may have just missed it!

a reply to: rickymouse

Going by what SteeBoo had to say they were the 177th Military Police Brigade of the Michigan National Guard.

a reply to: TonyS

I've seen tanks moved by rail around Detroit, but that goes back to when we still were making them in Warren. I can't imagine too much in the way of heavy vehicles makes their way into the UP. I doubt that the bridges (either Mackinaw or International) could support that much armor going across!

a reply to: AreUKiddingMe

You're showing your age! That's actually the only former Michigan SAC base I've never been to. We're planning a trip to Sault Ste Marie sometime this summer, so maybe we'll swing through then. Always love to stop in and see what was a piece of aviation history.

a reply to: cmdrkeenkid

One that really gives me pause is when I see a really big one or trainload (not in awhile I'll admit) is how MANY tanks and carriers and utility vehicles, Humvies etc there can be in just one convoy!