RAPID CITY, S.D. – The South Dakota National Guard will host its 37th annual Golden Coyote training exercise in the Black Hills June 12–26 to provide military units with relevant training opportunities in support of overseas contingency operations and homeland defense.
Created in 1984 with the cooperation of the National Forest Service and Custer State Park, this year’s exercise will allow over 2,000 service members to conduct combat-support and service-support missions in a realistic training environment.
There will be 35 military units from nine states and a U.S. territory participating in the exercise from the National Guard, Army Reserve and Navy Reserve. Participating units will conduct military operations throughout the region, train on unit missions, employ their equipment, and complete humanitarian and engineer projects.
This year’s exercise includes engineer, medical, logistics, aviation, transportation, maintenance and public affairs units, and offers units opportunities to train on individual and collective tasks and battle drills, combat patrols, urban combat operations, medical first aid, casualty evacuation and convoy operations.
Several units will complete humanitarian missions to transport timber to Native American communities, as well as engineer projects to improve forest infrastructure, trails and roads.
Residents should be aware of an increase in military traffic throughout the region and in the communities of Rapid City, Hill City and Custer and can expect an increase in noise levels due to military training. Aircraft will be operating throughout the area and will respond to real-world emergencies during the exercise and remain in an all-hours-ready status.
The public is asked to remain at a safe distance from all moving military vehicles and aircraft to prevent injury to personnel or damage to property.
