Michigan Air National Guard lands jets, takes off from US highway in military first

The Michigan Air National Guard took off and landed multiple planes on a four-lane stretch of State Highway M-32 Thursday, which is the first time that modern combat aircraft have intentionally landed on a U.S. civilian road, the Selfridge base said.

Part of M-32 near Alpena in the northwestern part of the state was closed down for the training exercise, which was dubbed "Thunder Landing Zone (LZ)."

"Thunder LZ gave the pilots the opportunity to land in an austere environment that they’re not used to," U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Brian Wyrzykowski, the mission commander, said after...

Unless you had periodic duck and cover drills in school like a fire drill, you'll never understand.

As I recall the Cuban Missile Crisis might have been the scariest time for children
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I was a sophomore in high school. It was a very sobering time. I recall the intense monitoring to see what Russia would do about the blockade when that ship got there. It was a big relief when they blinked.

Our school gym's basement was a designated fallout shelter. We lived across the street. Our school didn't do duck and cover-rural community and unlikely to be within the blast area where that was needed.

However, we did do tornado drills, and I suspect that was actually the same as we would have done for a nuke attack-but TPTB avoided that fear - provoking scenario.

Our 8th grade history teacher was also the local teacher of the civil defense class. He spent about 2 weeks teaching us how to use a Geiger counter, what would be safe to eat, etc. The message that as long as we were 25 miles away from the blast, had shelter to avoid radiation, and rations/preparations, we could survive.

After 2 weeks, it is safe to go out for a quick restock of necessities, but better if you don't have to.

I watched some interviews of people that survived the the attack on Japan. One lady's mom was killed, but somehow she survived. Our government used to have a national civil defense strategy.

Now they have continuity of government. Accommodations for all the essential Government dudes/dudettes - nothing for us peons. Russia still has civil defense for it's people - they did a drill back when it was predicted that HRC would win.

Congress passed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 creating federal funds for interstate highway construction. As the IHS developed so did its ability to support national defense. For example, throughout the system, mile-long stretches of concrete pavement double as emergency landing strips for military aircraft. Many Army posts, especially where division-level units are garrisoned, are near interstate highways.

For example, the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas, is adjacent to I-70, and the 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss, Texas, is close to I-10.

https://www.army.mil/article/198095/dwight_d_eisenhower_and_the_birth_of_the_interstate_highway_system

When I worked for a major airline and took part in cargo design of the 777 Boeing engineers also discussed the ability to land on an interstate. Thats as good as I know. I will try to look at the commission report for congress, but it will have to wait another day...

The building of the IHS, formally known as the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways

At the start of the construction, signage identified the highways as such. The roads were planned to facility troop and material movements across the entire country as might be needed. servicing existing military bases.

Here's the link to the history and Eisehower's objectives for planning.

Dwight D. Eisenhower and the birth of the Interstate Highway System

fascinating background

“the first time that modern combat aircraft have intentionally landed on a U.S. civilian road, the Selfridge base said.”

It’s official name is Selfridge Air National Guard Base, an ANG base since 1971. From 1947 to 1971, it was Selfridge Air Force Base and from 1917 to 1947 it was called Selfridge Field. A grand total of 104 years since the Curtiss JN-4’s began military flight operations there. It’s not Langley or Wright-Patterson but Selfridge has been active for just about as long as they have.

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