SDWG Members Challenged in Custer Training
Custer, SD --- The South Dakota Civil Air Patrol conducted a simulated Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX) May 1. This SAREX was conducted for training.
“I think the SAREX was very productive,” said Lt. Col. Goodrich, CAP’s Incident Commander for the mission. “Over half of the participants either obtained a new qualification or renewed a qualification. Every sortie was successful and the members each of our teams and mission staff learned several lessons.”
Aircrews were tasked with finding an ELT beacon. The aircrews were all able to track and locate the training beacon. sUAS Team (small Unmanned Aerial System) was tasked with finding their assigned target: a blue triangle shaped tarp, which was deep in the woods and up a hill in Custer State Park. The sUAS Team successfully located their target through the sUAS optics. The mission staff took exercise inputs, assigned resources and briefed the crews, then tracked the location and status of the deployed air crews and sUAS teams, and debriefed their sorties afterwards.
