Well, well, well… it looks like the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is actually doing something right. First, they pulled the plug on the $60 million STEM summer camp disguised as a DoD outreach program (a.k.a. STARBASE), and now it’s time for their next big project—fixing the tangled, messy, and possibly illegal funding streams running through Michigan’s Army and Air National Guard.
Let’s start with the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC)—which, in case you didn’t know, is entirely federally funded but sits on land that isn’t even federally owned. That’s right, the U.S. government doesn’t own CRTC—they lease it from Alpena County. So let’s get this straight: the federal government is pumping millions into a facility they don’t own, throwing cash at infrastructure, training programs, and operations while pretending this is all completely normal. What could possibly go wrong?
Then there’s Camp Grayling, which is its own financial Frankenstein. Unlike CRTC, Camp Grayling operates with a blend of state and federal funds, meaning it’s partially state-controlled but still takes money from Uncle Sam. And just to make things even more entertaining, private donors have thrown cash into the mix, adding yet another layer of questionable financial arrangements. So, is Camp Grayling a state-run training center, a federal military installation, or a donation-based nonprofit? Even the people running the place probably aren’t sure.
If DOGE is serious about cleaning up government waste, they need to start asking some hard questions:
✔ Why is the federal government dumping millions into a facility it doesn’t own?
✔ How much state money is actually going into Camp Grayling, and how is it being used?
✔ Are these dual-funding streams even legal, or have we just accepted “creative accounting” as military policy?
The National Guard funding model is already complex, but Michigan takes it to another level. This isn’t just a logistical nightmare—it’s a bureaucratic shell game where federal and state funds blur together, and no one seems to be checking the math. If the Air Guard and Army National Guard are operating under completely different funding models, then maybe it’s time to stop pretending they’re part of the same system.
DOGE, you’ve already proven that cutting waste upsets all the right people—so let’s keep the momentum going. Put Alpena’s CRTC and Camp Grayling under the microscope and figure out whether this tangled mess of funding and land leasing makes any legal or financial sense at all. Because right now, it looks a lot more like military money laundering than strategic defense spending
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