240821-F-DL828-1793
Maj. Troy Masserant, an F-16 Fighting Falcon Instructor Pilot, assigned to the 149th Fighter Wing, Air National Guard, conducts pre-flight checks before take-off during Operation Northern Cactus, a joint training exercise at Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC), Michigan, August 21, 2024. Northern Cactus is an annual training event that takes members of the 149th Fighter Wing, headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, to an austere environment to participate in a simulated deployment exercise. (Air National Guard photo by Tech Sgt. Derek Davis)