News>Coalition forces train with partners in arms to enable CSAR readiness
Photos
CAMPIA TURZII, Romania -- Romanian air force special forces members use their nation’s combat search and rescue procedures to identify U.S. Air Force Capt. Maureen Hartney, 81st Fighter Squadron executive officer, as a survivor July 19 during a training mission a part of the Dacian Thunder exerise here. The 81st FS A-10 Thunderlbolt II pilots worked with Romanian air force IAR helicopter pilots to locate and safely rescue Hartney in this mission. Dacian Thunder is a month-long partnership building exercise in which the U.S. Air Force, Romanian air force, U.S. Marine Corps and the Royal Air Force exchange techniques, tactics and procedures to strengthen coalition and joint capabilities. Faces have been blurred to protect the identity of special forces members. (U.S. Air force photo by Senior Airman Natasha Stannard/Released)
CAMPIA TURZII, Romania -- Senior Airman Billy Webster, 81st Fighter Squadron flight crew equipment inspector, builds a signal for A-10 Thunderbolt II pilots and IAR 330 helicopter pilots to find a combat search and rescue mission survivor during a training mission for Dacian Thunder July 19 here. Dacian Thunder is a month-long partnership building exercise in which the U.S. Air Force, Romanian air force, U.S. Marine Corps and the Royal Air Force exchange techniques, tactics and procedures to strengthen coalition and joint capabilities. (U.S. Air force photo by Senior Airman Natasha Stannard/Released)
CAMPIA TURZII, Romania -- Capt. Maureen Hartney, 81st Fighter Squadron executive officer, uses a combat survivor evader locater radio to communicate with A-10 Thunderbolt II pilots July 19 during Dacian Thunder here. Hartney, the survivor, used the radio to relay information about her location to A-10 pilots during a combat search and rescue training mission. The A-10 pliots then used that information to lead Romanian air force IAR 330 helicopter pilots to the location to rescue Hartney. Dacian Thunder is a month-long partnership building exercise in which the U.S. Air Force, Romanian air force, U.S. Marine Corps and the Royal Air Force exchange techniques, tactics and procedures to strengthen coalition and joint capabilities. (U.S. Air force photo by Senior Airman Natasha Stannard/Released)
CAMPIA TURZII, Romania -- Capt. Maureen Hartney, 81st Fighter Squadron executive officer, uses a mirror to signal her location to A-10 Thunderbolt II pilots July 19 during a combat search and training mission a part of the Dacian Thunder exercise here . Hartney was the survivor in this scenario where A-10 pilots worked with Romanian air force IAR 330 helicopter pilots to locate and safely rescue her. Dacian Thunder is a month-long partnership building exercise in which the U.S. Air Force, Romanian air force, U.S. Marine Corps and the Royal Air Force exchange techniques, tactics and procedures to strengthen coalition and joint capabilities. (U.S. Air force photo by Senior Airman Natasha Stannard/Released)
CAMPIA TURZII, Romania -- Capt. Maureen Hartney, 81st Fighter Squadron executive officer, uses a signal flare to reveal her location to A-10 Thunderbolt II pilots July 19 during a combat search and rescue training mission here at Dacian Thunder. Hartney was the survivor in this scenario where A-10 pilots worked with Romanian air force IAR 330 helicopter pilots to locate and safely rescue her. Dacian Thunder is a month-long partnership building exercise in which the U.S. Air Force, Romanian air force, U.S. Marine Corps and the Royal Air Force exchange techniques, tactics and procedures to strengthen coalition and joint capabilities. (U.S. Air force photo by Senior Airman Natasha Stannard/Released)
CAMPIA TURZII, Romania -- A Romanian air force IAR 330 helicopter prepares to land after a Romanian air force special forces member clears the area of threats during a combat search and rescue training mission a part of the Dacian Thunder exercise July 19 here. Pilots of 81st Fighter Squadron A-10 Thunderbolt IIs exchanged techniques and worked with the helicopter pilots to rescue a survivor in this training mission. This mission is part of Dacian Thunder, a month-long-long partnership building exercise in which the U.S. Air Force, Romanian air force, U.S. Marine Corps and the Royal Air Force exchange techniques, tactics and procedures to strengthen coalition and joint capabilities. (U.S. Air force photo by Senior Airman Natasha Stannard/Released)
CAMPIA TURZII, Romania -- An 81st Fighter Squadron A-10 Thunderbolt II flies above a field as it supports two Romanian IAR 330 helicopters to and from a combat search and rescue training mission July 19 during Dacian Thunder here. The A-10 pilots worked with IAR helicopter pilots to locate and safely rescue a survivor in this mission. Dacian Thunder is a month-long partnership building exercise in which the U.S. Air Force, Romanian air force, U.S. Marine Corps and the Royal Air Force exchange techniques, tactics and procedures to strengthen coalition and joint capabilities. (U.S. Air force photo by Senior Airman Natasha Stannard/Released)
by Senior Airman Natasha Stannard
52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
7/23/2012 - CAMPIA TURZII, Romania -- Her aircraft was downed in a field near Campia Turzii. She was alone with no food or water -- only her survival skills and equipment.
She found a safe site in bushes to take cover, made a signal for her rescue and established contact with her comrades in the air.
A-10 Thunderbolt IIs pilots of 81st Fighter Squadron and Romanian IAR 330 helicopter pilots of the 71st Air Fotilla searched for her, the survivor.
That was the scenario Capt. Maureen Hartney, 81st FS executive officer, simulated with the help of Staff Sgt. Daniel Wiggins, 52nd Operations Support Squadron survival, evasion, resistance and escape specialist, in a combat search and rescue exercise during Dacian Thunder July 19.
Dacian Thunder is a joint and coalition exercise in which the U.S. Air Force, Romanian air force, U.S. Marine Corps and the Royal Air Force members work together to strengthen techniques, tactics, procedures and capabilities.
The purpose of training together in this scenario was to establish unified methods and learn coalition and joint procedures used in CSAR.
"This is a part of building partnership capacity," Hartney said. "We get used to working with them, and they get used to working with us. This way, if a coalition contingency operation happens, we already have unified tactics, techniques and procedures established. We won't have to establish these in a real-world situation because we're already familiar with one another."
The A-10 and IAR 330 pilots worked together throughout the CSAR training to find and rescue Hartney. The A-10s had direct radio communication with both the survivor and the Romanians giving them the ability to funnel information to both parties. The A-10s also escorted the IAR 330s by surveying the area for any threats that could harm or prevent the IAR 330's from landing to pick up the survivor. They also guided the helicopters into the rescue location.
Once the A-10s established the area was clear of threats, the IAR 330 pilots swooped in for the rescue. Romanian special forces members ran to Hartney and used their tactics and procedures to identify her as the survivor. Once she was identified, they guided her to the helicopter to fly to safety.
It's important to establish these methods now instead of during a real-world capacity, because any misunderstandings or questions can be answered here in a training environment rather than during contingency operations, she said.
Training here also helps different forces understand one anothers capabilities, said Wiggins.
"I'm learning tactics and procedures other countries practice during rescue," Wiggins said. "So now, I can tell high-risk isolated personnel what to expect if recovered by our Romanian partners."
A-10 pilots also gained insight from working with their coalition partners.
"They have different aircraft we don't fly with a lot," said Capt. Mike Krestyn, 81st FS A-10 pilot. "This is a good opportunity to fly with foreign fighters and see their capabilities."
This also provided A-10 pilots the opportunity to conduct upgrade training in various roles such as locating the survivor, assessing the survivor's health and safety, establishing threats in the area, and controlling the helicopters as they come in to rescue the survivor.
"This was an absolute success," said Lt. Col. George Stanley, 81st FS A-10 pilot. "We were able to integrate four A-10s with two [IAR 330 helicopters] and two Romanian ground teams in a CSAR mission and get upgrades for two A-10 pilots."
This was one of eight CSAR training scenarios the U.S. Air Force and Romanian air force are conducting to learn from one another during Dacian Thunder.
