DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- An HH-60 Pave Hawk flies over the desert during Angel Thunder 2010, April 15, 2010. The Pave Hawk crew is from the Alaska Air National Guard's 210th Rescue Squadron at Kulis ANG Base in Anchorage, Alaska. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Joshua L. DeMotts)

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DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Staff Sgt. Andrew Green performs a preflight checklist during Angel Thunder 2010, April 15. Angel Thunder 2010, an Air Combat Command sponsored exercise, will be the largest personnel recovery and combat search and rescue exercise to date, combining Department of Defense and non-DOD assets. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Joshua L. DeMotts)

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DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz -- An HC-130P/N King refuels two HH-60 Pave Hawks April 15, over the desert during Angel Thunder 2010. The HC-130 is with the 71st Rescue Squadron at Moody AFB, Ga. Angel Thunder 2010, an Air Combat Command-sponsored exercise, will be the largest personnel recovery and combat search and rescue exercise to date, combining Department of Defense and non-DOD assets. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Joshua L. DeMotts)

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DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz -- Staff Sgt. Andrew Green puts on his gunner's belt, a personal protective device that secures him, during Angel Thunder 2010 April 15. Angel Thunder 2010 will be the largest personnel recovery and combat search and rescue exercise to date. Sergeant Green is an HH-60 flight engineer with the 55th Rescue Squadron at Davis-Monthan AFB. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Joshua L. DeMotts)

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DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz -- An HH-60 Pave Hawk crew drops off pararescuemen April 15, 2010, during exercise Angel Thunder 2010 in the desert. The Pave Hawk crew is from the Alaska Air National Guard's 210th Rescue Squadron at Kulis Air National Guard Base in Anchorage, Alaska. The pararescue crew is from the 103rd RQS in Long Island, N.Y. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Joshua L. DeMotts)

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Photo essay: CSAR training in action at Angel Thunder 2010

Published April 21, 2010
By Staff Sgt. Joshua L. DeMotts
1st Combat Camera Squadron

DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Angel Thunder 2010, an Air Combat Command-sponsored personnel recovery exercise, started here April 13 and will continue through April 23. The exercise is the largest of its kind in the world, including representation from the Air Force, Army, and other agencies within the Department of Defense, along with personnel and assets from several other partner nations.

Participants accomplish several training objectives varying in nature and complexity. One of the first missions was a traditional combat-search-and-rescue scenario, incorporating pararescuemen, HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter crews, an HC-130P refueling aircraft and mock survivors.

Scroll through the photos for scenes of the event.