Air Force, U.S. agencies kick-off multinational personnel recovery exercise at Davis-Monthan AFB

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Kerry Jackson
  • 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  The U.S. Air Force kicked off the world's largest Personnel Recovery and Combat Search and Rescue exercise, Angel Thunder 08, here Dec. 1, which integrates more than 850 ground recovery forces and 51 aircraft from the Department of Defense and non-DOD assets. 

The two week-long PR/CSAR exercise, scheduled through Friday, allows U.S. and international military forces and numerous national, multinational and interagency personnel recovery assets to train through the full spectrum of personnel recovery capabilities--preparation, planning, execution and adaptation. 

"Angel Thunder is a very unique program, built by the combat search and rescue community from the grass roots level, that incorporates the lessons we've collectively learned from our experiences," said Maj. Brett Hartnett, the Angel Thunder Project Officer assigned to the 563rd Operational Support Squadron here. "This exercise helps to eliminate the idea that personnel recovery can be done independent of other agencies, because from experience, we know that each service and government agency must work together to make successful recoveries at home and abroad." 

Personnel recovery is the sum of military, civil, and political operations needed to gain the release or rescue of military personnel from uncertain or hostile environments, and civilians during combat, disaster and relief operations. 

The exercise takes rescue personnel through a number of scenarios that emulate real-world rescue operations that have happened or have the possibility of happening. Monday's scenario centered on the recovery of civilians impacted by a massive earthquake, while Tuesday's scenario involved the rescue of a U.S. Ambassador attacked in an ambush by enemy forces. The mountainous regions of Southern Arizona and New Mexico are being used because they mirror the landscapes found throughout Iraq and Afghanistan and other locations around the world.
 
The recovery forces see the benefit of learning and making mistakes during exercises like Angel Thunder, versus on the battle field where lives are on the line. 

"It's better to exercise this now than it would be when bullets are flying in a real combat situation," said Master Sgt. Chad Watts, Superintendent Combat Survival Training at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. More than 30 volunteers from Davis-Monthan and Air Force Reserved Officer Train Corps cadets from the University of Arizona served as survivors to add another level of realism to this exercise, he said. 

"We need something tangible to look for, something to bring home-- ultimately without a survivor you don't have an exercise." Other key players participating in Angel Thunder 08 include rescue forces from Chile, Colombia and Germany who are working alongside American forces throughout each phase of the exercise. 

Personnel Recovery operations require a precise mix of ground air forces to aid in successful rescues. Angel Thunder 08 integrates combat aircrew forces, Guardian Angel and intelligence personnel, battle managers, and joint search and rescue center personnel. Because ground recovery forces routinely operate with forces from sister services, and other national, international and inter agencies that may communicate, and respond in slightly different ways, Angel Thunders 08 was designed to facilitate interoperability, cross-culture sharing of tactics and procedures. 

"Everybody has their own tactics, techniques and procedures and having everybody come together allows us to work through some of the communication differences, and allows us to share lessons learned with each other," said Sergeant Watts. 

Aircraft participating in Angel Thunder 08 include the HH-60G Pave Hawk, the MC-130P Combat Shadow, C-130E Hercules, the AH-64D Longbow, the UH-1N Huey, C-17 Globemaster III, the KC-135 Stratotanker, the HC-130P/N, EC-130H Compass Call, the E-3 Sentry, the A-10 Thunderbolt II, and the German Air Force Tornado ECR. 

Angel Thunder 08, hosted by the Air Combat Command, is the third joint personnel recovery and combat rescue exercise conducted at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. The DoD agencies participating in this exercise include the U.S. Air Force, Army, the Department of Justice, the National Reconnaissance office, the State Department, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the Joint Forces command with multi-national observers from Mexico, Canada, and Pakistan.