Complex CSAR training at Red Flag-Alaska

  • Published
  • By By Staff Sgt. Shawn J. Jones
  • Red Flag-Alaska Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  A combat, search and rescue team saved two aircrew members who were downed in hostile territory as part of a complex, multinational training scenario July 19 at Red Flag-Alaska, an air combat exercise over the Pacific Alaska Range Complex.

Red Flag-Alaska includes sophisticated CSAR training to improve the Air Force's capability to recover downed aircrews and other isolated personnel.

"This is where we get the whole package for CSAR training," said Staff Sgt. Corey Ercolani, an aerial gunner with the 210th Rescue Squadron from Kulis Air National Guard Base, Alaska. "This is as good as it gets."

One key benefit of Red Flag-Alaska is the approximately 1,500 personnel from six different nations participating in the exercise.

There are many aircrew members at Red Flag-Alaska who are here to obtain first-rate training. Part of that training involves practicing survival, evasion, resistance and escape techniques in the event their aircraft is downed in hostile territory.

The Red Flag-Alaska CSAR scenario also involves ground forces that are hostile to both the downed aircrew members and the rescue team.

The participation of the downed aircrew members and hostile forces in the CSAR exercise was extremely valuable to the rescue squadron team. In their day-to-day training, the rescue squadron does not have enough manpower to play as ground forces, said Capt. Gregg Laird, an HH-60 Pave Hawk pilot with the 210th RQS.

Another benefit of Red Flag-Alaska is the presence of allied multinational forces. Airmen from Japan, Mongolia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, and the United States are participating in the exercise.

The CSAR scenario called for two downed U.S. Air Force pilots, but Red Flag exercise planners used a U.S. Navy pilot and a Spanish air force pilot to add complexity instead.
Adding to the multinational atmosphere, two F-16 Fighting Falcons from the Turkish Air Force made the initial contact with the downed aircrew members and relayed vital information to the rescue squadron.

Though communication between the Turkish pilots and the rescues team wasn't always precise, it was effective in pushing the rescue operation forward.

"We don't normally get to fly with other countries," said Sergeant Ercolani. "It's definitely an asset to our training."

The mix of international and joint service Airmen allowed the rescue team and the downed aircrew to familiarize themselves with Air Force rescue squadron procedures.

"The key learning point to take away is that the language barrier can be intensified in a communications-heavy environment," said Master Sgt. Rob Carte, a flight engineer with the 210th RQS. "Up there, the clarity of communication is everything."