U.S. military personnel are conducting training exercises in and around Chicago through Thursday, including flying military helicopters in areas around downtown at night.

City agencies are providing support for the “routine military training exercises,” according to a release from the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications.

Monday night, many Chicagoans wondered what military helicopters were doing downtown. They are part of the training exercises, a spokeswoman for the office said.

Military personnel including soldiers from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment--who fly and support military helicopters and specialize in nighttime operations—are among those involved in the “realistic urban training,” said a spokeswoman for the 160th, which is headquartered in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The exercises also include other units under the U.S. Special Operations Command, based at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla.

The training is designed to prepare military personnel for overseas deployments, according to the Army and the OEMC.

Although Chicagoans might see helicopters or other evidence of the exercises, “The training sites have been carefully selected to minimize the impact on the daily routine of residents,” OEMC said in its release.

chicagobreaking@tribune.com | Twitter: @ChicagoBreaking