Ground Teams:Lessons Learned

[ol'fido]

I don't do Ground Team anymore but I did for most of my first 25 years in CAP. Along the way, I would like to think I learned a thing or two about GT, SAR, and Missions in general. I would like to pass on a few of my learned lessons and encourage everyone else on here to do the same. When I joined CT one of my incentives was to get the pulse of CAP as I hadn't really done anything other than summer encampment for a few years. I wanted to use CT as a learning tool and I think that is what most people want out of CT. They really don't want to debate over uniforms and regulations. They want to find information that isn't readily available anywhere else.

So I am going to start with a couple of my nuggets of wisdom and encourage everyone to add theirs. Try to keep them kinda short and sweet and don't dogpile somebody else's Lesson Learned. His reality may be different from your own.

1) DON'T RUSH!- You know how it is. You get that call, text, or e mail that a mission has been opened and the adrenaline starts pumping. You start rushing around the house getting your gear together. You try to throw in a bunch of other stuff "just in case". Finally, you rush off into the middle of the night(usually) to meet your fellow team members. Then you rush to get the briefing info and get out in the field as soon as possible. But the reality is that haste does make waste. We are more prone to mistakes and forgetfulness when we are in a hurry. CAP is not a "lights and siren first responder" group. Move deliberately and with purpose. Don't dawdle and don't put yourself in the middle of a Chinese fire drill either.

2) DON'T GET GADGETITIS OR BE A GEAR GEEK- CAP in their wisdom has provided you with recommended gear list(24 and 72 hr Kits). I don't agree with everything on it but it is a good starting point for the new GT member. After a while you will learn what works and what doesn't. Don't go out and spend hundreds of dollars at REI or Northface when fifty bucks at Wally World will do the trick. Don't get wrapped up in the "coolness" factor of a piece of gear either. Just because you saw it on a Navy SEAL or "Border Wars" doesn't mean it is suitable for GT operations.

Next??....

[lordmonar]

Your most important piece of gear is your BOOTS.

Get a good pair for the terrain and weather conditions you will most likey be seeing.
Break them in BEFORE you get the call.
Take care of them...keep them polished, clean off the mud as soon as in you can (like when you are still in the field) and keep them out of the water as much as possible.

[SARDOC]

Your most important piece of gear is your BOOTS.

Get a good pair for the terrain and weather conditions you will most likey be seeing.
Break them in BEFORE you get the call.
Take care of them...keep them polished, clean off the mud as soon as in you can (like when you are still in the field) and keep them out of the water as much as possible.

Best Advice Ever!

[CT074CC]

Stay calm and work together.  We had some huge personality differences in our squadron fro quite some time.  However, we always paid attention to our training.  We'd always ask, why do we keep doing this training, we are never going to use it.  Well, one day, when we least expected it, we did.  And because we paid attention in the training, our differences were automatically put aside, and we focused one the mission.  It paid off.  Just don't ever think or presume your training is for nothing.  You may not use it for a year, maybe even ten years; but when you use it, you'll be glad you practiced, practiced, practiced!

Another note is this.  We can train to the cows come home on all the technical aspects of SAR/GT and be really good at it.  However, I think another point we often miss is mental conditioning.  How far can we go?  Are we mentally prepared for what we might find?  Are we able to handle police officers or other emergency personnel doubting our competence?  Can you keep your cool under pressure?  Can you handle the bombardment of media questions, etc..?

[ol'fido]

3) KNOW YOUR TURF- Me and the wife went for one our drives tonight. Even before I got married, one of my favorite things to do was to "run the roads". I have been up or down probably every public road or trail in my county. I also drove a lot of the back roads in this part of the state and studied the Delorme to boot. I am pretty familiar with Southern Illinois. I know where the local airports are. I know where the grass strips and crop duster strips are. It helps when you get briefed on a SARSAT hit and know there is a guy that flies Homebuilts off his pasture near there. It also gets you used to seeing something on the map and translating it to what your seeing on the road a lot better than when all your doing is listening to "Turn left in 1/4 mile".

[Walkman]

Your most important piece of gear is your BOOTS.

Get a good pair for the terrain and weather conditions you will most likey be seeing.
Break them in BEFORE you get the call.
Take care of them...keep them polished, clean off the mud as soon as in you can (like when you are still in the field) and keep them out of the water as much as possible.

+100

[Senior]

Every leader should explain the "big picture" of ES in your area to your subordinates.  I was told years ago that in Missouri we don't have that many missing aircraft searches.  We do have some ramp searches.  It still holds true what I was told twenty plus years ago WIWAC.  I participated(with sadness) in my first real missing aircraft search this year.  No survivors unfortunately.  I realized on  this real mission that someone is out there needing our help.  It is very sobering.

I learned in the Army and it holds true in ES/DR that the mission above all else has to be accomplished as efficiently and safely as possible.
It is NOT about YOU as an individual, but a team.  Also, I learned in the Army that you can be replaced.

Regarding gear.  Start simple and as cheap as possible.  I would get the best pair of boots(as mentioned above) that you can afford, a good multi tool(not the one with the most tools).  I would get the rest on ebay.  Do your research and ask what other people are using.

Educate yourself about ES, communications,safety and related topics.  Use google to find links to other SAR organizations, etc..  Learning never ends.

[RADIOMAN015]

CAP does need to take advantage of all technical equipment that will assist with searching.  A perfect example is GPS.  Anyone deploying without this equipment is at a distinct disadvantage.  Most air support by other agencies is going to require accurate pin point information, a map & a compass with an approximatel location isn't what they are looking for. 

Also, mandatory night training (for a special qualification)with appropriate lighting.  Those L shaped flash light aren't all that is needed.  There's a lot different lighting devices/bulbs, etc that provided stronger illumination that are much smaller in size.  CAP day time operation only precludes GT's from really being effective.

Furthermore, CAP's needs to get agreements (and or have members) that have snowmobiles and 4 wheel ATV's that can used to get quickly to potential sites.   The biggest fear that I have is a plane crash in a snow storm where no CAP aircraft can be launched, so it's ground UDF only and there's deep snow in the potential crash area.     

We need to ensure we train with other ES organizations in our "response areas".  They need to know us personally, so there's mutual trust, and we need to stay within "our box" in the scheme of things.

Lastly, with any trauma there's the "golden hour" rule.   Anyone in CAP, in ANY ES position needs to be READY TO GO at all times.  The goal should be to be into the field as quickly/safely as possible.     As everyone knows the aero side
s goal is to try to get in the air in less than 2 hours, many can do it in an hour.  Usually we are going to need a plane up first to try to narrow the search area.

Fortunately (and also unfortunately) we don't have too many ground team missions (and UDF missions) in our wing, but one has to remain sharp by at least participating in ground team training exercises, local & wing.

RN 

[Eclipse]

CAP does not deploy during the "golden hour".  It takes longer than that just to get the initial call.

Even if a resource spins up within 60 minutes of the first call-up, they are already outside the hour.  In the SARSAT days
you were generally in the 2nd to 3rd hour before you got called.

[ol'fido]

4)TRAIN BEYOND THE STANDARD- What I see these days is a lot of people worried about getting their tasks signed off from the task guides for GT/UDF. Once they get these signed off the go "Done!" and sit around inventoring their gear. YOU NEVER STOP TRAINING. It's unlikely but if you ever get into a survival situation on a mission and you rely on just what was given in the task guide, you will definitely be in the hurt locker. You need, for example, to constantly practice firemaking under all conditions. This is a core outdoor and survival skill. Also, many of the skills you need are perishable. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. Go beyond the skills in the task guide. It's hard to overtrain.

[Eclipse]

^ Agree 100%

[RADIOMAN015]

4)TRAIN BEYOND THE STANDARD- What I see these days is a lot of people worried about getting their tasks signed off from the task guides for GT/UDF. Once they get these signed off the go "Done!" and sit around inventoring their gear. YOU NEVER STOP TRAINING. It's unlikely but if you ever get into a survival situation on a mission and you rely on just what was given in the task guide, you will definitely be in the hurt locker. You need, for example, to constantly practice firemaking under all conditions. This is a core outdoor and survival skill. Also, many of the skills you need are perishable. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. Go beyond the skills in the task guide. It's hard to overtrain.

I think you are asking for too much.  We need to ensure that personnel in ANY ES capacity continue to meet the standard.   IF the standard needs to be raised than that should be looked at also.  I've found in CAP that there's a fair amount of people seniors (as well as some cadets) that has a lot of ES qualifications, BUT when you peel back what their real knowledge is, it is barely satisfactory.  Also IF ANYONE is not training AT LEAST MONTHLY in their ES skills that needs to be looked at.  I've seen cadet NESA graduates, unable to perform adequately on real missions, which I attribute to the lack of follow on training.  Just because you graduate from NESA (or any other course) that doesn't make you the expert.  Total agree on at least monthly training.
   
In my wing the number of people that come forward for monthly training SAREX missions is troubling.  As I've said before IF you are pilot using CAP aircraft for "flying around" I think it's a reasonable expectation that you will be involved in ES (working your way to SAR pilot via mission scanner, observer and other mission base support & field team involvement).
RM   

[RiverAux]

The Coast Guard Commandant talked about this issue in his 2011 direction:

Proficiency is our Standard. "Proficiency" is "a thorough competence derived from training and practice" (Webster's). "Qualified" is the first step to proficiency, but repeated experience and practice are necessary to ensure it, particularly with highly perishable operational skills. Our personnel system, doctrine and policies must support the development and honing of proficiency in specialty.

[fyrfitrmedic]

4)TRAIN BEYOND THE STANDARD- What I see these days is a lot of people worried about getting their tasks signed off from the task guides for GT/UDF. Once they get these signed off the go "Done!" and sit around inventoring their gear. YOU NEVER STOP TRAINING. It's unlikely but if you ever get into a survival situation on a mission and you rely on just what was given in the task guide, you will definitely be in the hurt locker. You need, for example, to constantly practice firemaking under all conditions. This is a core outdoor and survival skill. Also, many of the skills you need are perishable. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. Go beyond the skills in the task guide. It's hard to overtrain.

+1

Useful training that engages the personnel is a must.

In 30+ years I've been to way too many poorly-planned and poorly executed SAREXs,and I've seen way too many cancelled or rescheduled because the weather wasn't CAVU.

+1000 in re: "shelf life" of skills. I see too much of this in fire and EMS and it's something that doesn't get looked at adequately in CAP, IMHO.

[ol'fido]

5)CHECK AROUND THE AIRPORT CAREFULLY- On a missing aircraft search, check the wooded areas within one(1) mile of the airport carefully. Planes don't usually fall out of the sky in mid-flight. Nine times out of ten something went wrong during the landing or takeoff cycle. If you are a GBD, one of the first things you can do is send a ground team out to accomplish this unless there is CREDIBLE information that would cause you to search elsewhere. During a mission here in Benton in 2007, CAP aircraft were taxiing, landing, and taking off withing 100 yards of the crash site. The aircraft had crashed into thick woods on the west side of the runway on takeoff with very little damage to the trees. A Ground Team had to get within yards of the site to see any wreckage.

[coudano]

If you are a team leader or an assistant team leader,
use your whole team.

If you are unable to do that, then you are either doing too much
or you need to reduce the size of your team

or both.


Sitting in the back of the van staring at the seat, and never getting to do anything...   sucks.
It might be exciting for the 2 people doing everything, but not so much for the rest of the team.


--These days I pretty much just drive, monitor safety, and stupid check the person who is actually managing the search; quite often a cadet.  Of course sometimes that isn't practical/expedient, and you have to get more directive, but as your team gets more competent, back off and let them work.   all of them...

[ol'fido]

6)PAY ATTENTION TO THE RADAR TRACK- If your IC can get the radar track of the missing aircraft pay close attention to the location radar contact was lost and the direction of travel at the time. Yes, I know that an aircraft could drop below the ATC radar and go for many miles. But of several REDCAPs I have been on for missing aircraft at least two were found at or near where radar contact was lost.

[Dracosbane]

7)  Don't forget Mr. Murphy likes to tag along in the van. 

8 )  Don't be afraid to speak up, even for the little things.  Better to check out a irrelevant clue than miss a relevant clue.

9)  Check your gear regularly, before you need it.  Don't just let it sit after your last mission.  If you don't check your gear after the last time you use it until the next time you need it, you'll find yourself missing that critical piece of gear, and rushing around trying to find it or out in the field without it.

[EmergencyManager6]

6)PAY ATTENTION TO THE RADAR TRACK- If your IC can get the radar track of the missing aircraft pay close attention to the location radar contact was lost and the direction of travel at the time. Yes, I know that an aircraft could drop below the ATC radar and go for many miles. But of several REDCAPs I have been on for missing aircraft at least two were found at or near where radar contact was lost.

NTAP data is only a tool!  treat it as such.  there are no promises or guarantees with NTAP data.

[Parsifal]

The Coast Guard Commandant talked about this issue in his 2011 direction:

Proficiency is our Standard. "Proficiency" is "a thorough competence derived from training and practice" (Webster's). "Qualified" is the first step to proficiency, but repeated experience and practice are necessary to ensure it, particularly with highly perishable operational skills. Our personnel system, doctrine and policies must support the development and honing of proficiency in specialty.

The issue of leadership and technical proficiency has been on my mind frequently. On paper, I'm qualified in many specialties, and expected to serve in leadership roles, but I hardly consider myself proficient. The same is probably true of many individuals and teams. But how do you (as an individual and team) become proficient when ES training is conducted infrequently and on a piece-meal basis...SAREXes are cancelled...we receive qualification training but little fieldwork and refresher training afterwards...and so forth? There is only so much an individual alone can do to maintain and improve his skills. Before rejoining, I left CAP a dozen years ago with similar concerns and unspoken complaints. I wonder if others feel the same or have completely different perspectives based on their experience.

I agree with RM's recommendation that ES training be conducted monthly.  There are many other good suggestions in this discussion as well.

[coudano]

Yeah we do task refreshers all throughout the year.
Infact it's one of the hip pocket lesson plans at the squadron anytime there is down time;
fresh up on a task...

Local training is the key though.
You can't wait around for sarex, or actual.

[ol'fido]

10) TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OWN TRAINING- Nobody has to be signing off tasks for you to be training. That kind of thinking will not make you proficient. It doesn't have to be a SAREX for you to train. Go out on a weekend and practice survival, or ground searches, or DFing. You don't even have to be ES qualified to go out and enjoy these types of activities. Have fun weekends for your whole squadron. Here in IL we submit a ILWGF 301 to hold a bivouac and then you take the whole unit out to the woods. Inviting other units to come and play is a great way to get to know people. For several years back in the late 90's, we would have three or four of these events a year at different locales throughout Southern Illinois. If you set back and wait for the training to come to you, you will be waiting a LONG time.

[ol'fido]

11)SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN THE WOODS- It doesn't matter where your unit is located spend a lot of time in the woods( or desert, or bayou, or whatever your local "back of nowhere" terrain might be). The more time you spend there, the more confident you will be in your ability to operate there. One of the main reasons people die in survival situations is the inaction or panic brought on by the shock of being in an alien environment. If you are not woods savvy, the woods at night can be a scary place to be. I don't know how many times I have seen cadets who carried a flashlight like their life depended on it and shined it on anything that moved or made a noise. One of the things I used to do was to take cadets on their first bivouac out into the woods at night well away from camp and have them turn off their flashlights and make them sit there quietly for for an hour or so. It was amazing how quickly they lost their fear of the woods. But you must make sure they still respect the woods because the second you don't it will jump up and bite you in the butt.

[ol'fido]

12)DON'T CARRY THINGS IN THE CARGO POCKETS OF YOUR BDU PANTS- If you have to walk a distance of several miles, don't carry stuff in the cargo pockets of your BDUs. If you can avoid it all, don't carry anything in your pants pockets at all. While these pockets seem real handy for carrying stuff, they can be your worst nightmare if you have to walk any distance with them. This is because they will start to rub as you walk. Let's say you stuck a poncho or rain jacket in your cargo pocket. Because of its size and the design of the pants, it will usually start swinging back and forth as you move your legs. Walking across the parking lot? No problem. Walking several miles on a lost person search? It will rub just like having boots that are to big.

[Eclipse]

11)SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN THE WOODS-

100% - we have units that do their compass tasking in a parking lot and then can't navigate their way around a rock or a tree.

Nothing beats real-world navigation practice.

We have an orienteering course up our way and I encourage people to do their learning there, and try to get there whenever I can to
shake out the rust as well.

[PWK-GT]

11)SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN THE WOODS-

100% - we have units that do their compass tasking in a parking lot and then can't navigate their way around a rock or a tree.

Nothing beats real-world navigation practice.

We have an orienteering course up our way and I encourage people to do their learning there, and try to get there whenever I can to
shake out the rust as well.

+1  I make it there at least once a year, and last time brought the 'better half' and the youngster along. They got a kick out of seeing it work, and I got bonus points by making it 'family time'.

Win, Win.

[ol'fido]

13)DON'T PEE ORANGE- In other words, drink water. You can usually tell the state of your hydration by the color of your urine. The clearer the better. If your urine is dark yellow, you need some serious hydration. If your urine is the color of 40W motor oil, well, you won't be reading this post anytime soon if at all. Hydrate before, during, and after strenuous outdoor activity in high heat/humidity. Also, don't get all "hooah, hooah" and try to push through when the wet bulb temp gets near the 100 mark. Black flag it and get in the AC. Lastly, it is better to hydrate by SIPPING water over a period of time than by trying to chug a bunch of water all at once. This can be as dangerous as dehydration.

[SarDragon]

Regarding hydration, read this, too.

[HGjunkie]

With the water, I find drinking around a quart (1 canteen's worth) of water per hour keeps one pretty well hydrated. And hydration is just as necessary in cold weather as it is in hot weather, if not more.

[RADIOMAN015]

11)SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN THE WOODS-

100% - we have units that do their compass tasking in a parking lot and then can't navigate their way around a rock or a tree.

Nothing beats real-world navigation practice.

We have an orienteering course up our way and I encourage people to do their learning there, and try to get there whenever I can to
shake out the rust as well.

Where in Chicago land do you even have any woods   I would think that parking lots are likely your 'woods' in your AOR (just use those dumpsters for way points).     I personally can't get excited with compass and pace counts etc, when a field GPS unit will be close to "spot on" in seconds.

What CAP should try to do is get one of the sporting retailers to give us a big discount or even get some of the GPS manufacturers to make some large "in kind" donations of GPS handheld units to CAP.
RM

[Майор Хаткевич]

11)SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN THE WOODS-

100% - we have units that do their compass tasking in a parking lot and then can't navigate their way around a rock or a tree.

Nothing beats real-world navigation practice.

We have an orienteering course up our way and I encourage people to do their learning there, and try to get there whenever I can to
shake out the rust as well.

Where in Chicago land do you even have any woods   I would think that parking lots are likely your 'woods' in your AOR (just use those dumpsters for way points).     I personally can't get excited with compass and pace counts etc, when a field GPS unit will be close to "spot on" in seconds.

What CAP should try to do is get one of the sporting retailers to give us a big discount or even get some of the GPS manufacturers to make some large "in kind" donations of GPS handheld units to CAP.
RM

Chicagoland is bigger than some states...

[EmergencyManager6]

Check your Comms

Check your Comms.

and then

Check your comms!

[ol'fido]

14) DON'T WEAR YOUR FIELD GEAR AROUND MISSION BASE-Field gear is...well..for the field. It is not for trolling around mission base. Keep it in the back of your vehicle or some group rally point where it is secure. Don't be "THAT GUY" that wears his everywhere even to the latrine. If you want to look "hard kewl" buy a thigh pouch with leg strap or a pair sunglasses "just like the Navy SEALs wear". Let your body breathe and let your gear air out as well. The vests and LBEs that CAP GTs usually wear for missions are real good at holding in the heat. Also, give your back, legs, and feet a chance to rest and recover after lugging around and getting jolted every step by that extra weight.

To go along with that....

15) KEEP THE WEIGHT OF YOUR GEAR TO THE MINIMUM- I am not advocating cutting off the handles of your toothbrush or anything else that "ultra-light backpacking" enthusiasts do to cut out every spare ounce, but I am saying to critically examine every item you carry and ask whether or not it is really necessary. Yes, CAP puts out lists of what you are supposed to carry but a GI lensatic compass weighs a lot more than a Silva orienteering compass for example. If you feel you must have something that weighs more by all means carry it. Just be aware of what you re carrying. Go to the sporting goods store and buy yourself one of the scales used to weigh fish and weigh each item and your whole pack. A few items may not be used very much but should never be left out such as a first aid kit. Just don't try to hump half your body weight.

[ol'fido]

16) CARRY A BANDANA- When I go to the field, I carry a bandana. Usually, I carry more than one. A few years ago, I went out to Wally World and bought two yards of international orange cloth that was approximately the same weight and weave as a regular bandana or GI triangular dressing. I cut them into 1 yard squares and had them hemmed all around to prevent unraveling. Now I have two bandanas that can be seen for a great distance as a signalling flag or used as a head scarf, triangular bandage, wash cloth, pot holder, water filter, napkin, or a hundred other uses. Like 550 cord and GI ponchos, bandanas are definitely multi-purpose.

[3DigitSpaatz]

Your most important piece of gear is your BOOTS.

Actually, it's that gelatinous, 3-pound lump between your ears.

Try not to leave it behind when you're rushing out the door.  You'll survive a lot longer with it than you will without it, boots or no boots.

[ol'fido]

OK. Well....

17) LEARN TO DO THINGS THE OLD FASHIONED WAY FIRST- Today in SAR, we have a lot of technology that helps us do our jobs. Devices like GPS, cell phones, trunking radios, DF equipment, etc. have made our jobs a lot easier and quicker to do. But technology can fail and it usually fails when you need it most. Granted this will not happen every or even most times you go on a mission. As the technology develops, it will probably happen even less. But don't ignore "ANALOG" GT skills. Learn to use a map and compass to navigate. Learn to start fires with one(or none) matches. Learn to use basic radio receivers(i.e. the old Jetstream radios) to DF ELTs. But that will take away from time to train on other things you say. Yes, it will. However, the confidence level that knowing these skills provide will more than make up for it. Plus, these are things that you can train on yourself in your own time. You do train on your own don't you?

[ol'fido]

18) KNOW HOW TO FIND DRY FIRE WOOD- Even in the wettest weather, it is possible to find dry wood for fires. Fire is one of the key tools used in survival. It provides light, cooking, tool making, warmth, and it is a powerful psychological booster. Getting a fire going can sometimes be the difference between life and death. Standing dead wood is usually your best source for dry wood in damp conditions but you can also get dry wood from evergreen trees. Next time you are out in the woods look at the bottom of any evergreen tree or shrub. You will usually find several dead bare limbs that have been protected from the weather by the evergreen boughs. The old sourdoughs called this "squaw wood" because it could easily be gathered by women, kids, and the elderly. Like all pine it is soft wood and will burn quickly but it should burn long enough to dry out any of the hard woods you may find.

[arajca]

19) IF YOU BRING IT, KNOW HOW TO USE IT.
I have seen folks bring the latest whiz-bang equipment and not have a clue how to use it, but it's the latest and greatest technology.

[RADIOMAN015]

Here's a few more:
1.  IF you don't have to go into the woods to search don't.  Ensure the aircraft or IC has the area boxed in to a reasonable geographical area.   Maybe 6 square miles at most

2.  Your personal protective equipment should be functional rather than focusing on military related.   If you have a good pair of sorrel boots that are tan use them before your typical black combat boots (which likely are only good for in woods "on the path" searches in summer & fall (perhaps late spring).  Additionally CAP's typical BDU/Blue BDU uniforms and outer wear are potential killers in the winter time due to their high cotton content.  (That's why a simple vest with appropriate CAP name/command patch on both front & back is what we really need for a team), ALL other clothing should be functional for the anticipated/historical weather conditions.).
RM     

[Eclipse]

If you have a good pair of sorrel boots that are tan use them...

...while helping your local CERT team, however don't forget they aren't currently allowed for wear in any CAP uniform.

[Eclipse]

18) KNOW HOW TO FIND DRY FIRE WOOD- Even in the wettest weather, it is possible to find dry wood for fires. Fire is one of the key tools used in survival. It provides light, cooking, tool making, warmth, and it is a powerful psychological booster. Getting a fire going can sometimes be the difference between life and death. Standing dead wood is usually your best source for dry wood in damp conditions but you can also get dry wood from evergreen trees. Next time you are out in the woods look at the bottom of any evergreen tree or shrub. You will usually find several dead bare limbs that have been protected from the weather by the evergreen boughs. The old sourdoughs called this "squaw wood" because it could easily be gathered by women, kids, and the elderly. Like all pine it is soft wood and will burn quickly but it should burn long enough to dry out any of the hard woods you may find.

pssshhh...wood?

Everyone knows all you need is a bowling ball and a torch!

[Spaceman3750]

11)SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN THE WOODS-

100% - we have units that do their compass tasking in a parking lot and then can't navigate their way around a rock or a tree.

Nothing beats real-world navigation practice.

We have an orienteering course up our way and I encourage people to do their learning there, and try to get there whenever I can to
shake out the rust as well.

Where in Chicago land do you even have any woods   I would think that parking lots are likely your 'woods' in your AOR (just use those dumpsters for way points).

I was just up in Chicagoland for a SAREX at the beginning of May - the park we were in, while littered with walking and biking trails, also had large wooded areas. I could easily see a small child walking away from his parents on one of those trails, off into the woods, and hiding, necessitating a search.

It's not all pavement jungle .

[ol'fido]

18) KNOW HOW TO FIND DRY FIRE WOOD- Even in the wettest weather, it is possible to find dry wood for fires. Fire is one of the key tools used in survival. It provides light, cooking, tool making, warmth, and it is a powerful psychological booster. Getting a fire going can sometimes be the difference between life and death. Standing dead wood is usually your best source for dry wood in damp conditions but you can also get dry wood from evergreen trees. Next time you are out in the woods look at the bottom of any evergreen tree or shrub. You will usually find several dead bare limbs that have been protected from the weather by the evergreen boughs. The old sourdoughs called this "squaw wood" because it could easily be gathered by women, kids, and the elderly. Like all pine it is soft wood and will burn quickly but it should burn long enough to dry out any of the hard woods you may find.

pssshhh...wood?

Everyone knows all you need is a bowling ball and a torch!

Mythbusters??

[Eclipse]

11)SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN THE WOODS-

100% - we have units that do their compass tasking in a parking lot and then can't navigate their way around a rock or a tree.

Nothing beats real-world navigation practice.

We have an orienteering course up our way and I encourage people to do their learning there, and try to get there whenever I can to
shake out the rust as well.

Where in Chicago land do you even have any woods   I would think that parking lots are likely your 'woods' in your AOR (just use those dumpsters for way points).

I was just up in Chicagoland for a SAREX at the beginning of May - the park we were in, while littered with walking and biking trails, also had large wooded areas. I could easily see a small child walking away from his parents on one of those trails, off into the woods, and hiding, necessitating a search.

It's not all pavement jungle .

Yep, even within the borders of Chicago proper there are plenty of forest preserves and similar wooded areas, venture into the area defined as  "Chicagoland" and you're well into rural Illinois.

(Note that includes portions of Wisconsin and Indiana.)

I was in Rockford on Saturday and on the way home I passed some forested areas that looked incredibly dense and untouched by anyone.

[ol'fido]

I know that Bear Grylls(why is that guy always running?), Les Stroud, and Dave and Cody are always on deserted islands, deep in the Rockies, or in some South American jungle(that's a rain forest for you Birkenstock wearing, Volvo driving PC types) but you can get lost in a square mile of woods or marsh. Just because someone lives in a predominately urban area doesn't mean there aren't areas where someone couldn't get turned around. It doesn't matter where you live, you need the same basic skills no matter what. We just won't be practicing building igloos(or maybe we will the way the snow was last winter in the state) or learning where to dig for water in the arroyos but that doesn't mean that urban teams should or would not practice wilderness skills.

[Walkman]

Train under stress.

Practice find scenarios with lots of chaos and people yelling. I did my first training sortie as a very green GTL trainee recently and had some amazing cadets act as the victims. Had a "mom" screaming "where's my son, why aren't you looking for my son" (she could have won an Oscar for that performance by the way) and a "reporter" running around hollering about seeing dead bodies and getting right in the way. I'll admit my heartbeat rose and I had a harder time thinking through everything I needed to do. I'm glad it was only an exercise, because I didn't do very well at all. Some of the younger cadets had a serious case of "deer in the headlights".

Lesson learned. We will be doing much more training under a variety of situations to make sure we know how to think clearly and react properly when we need to.

[ol'fido]

19) BUY QUALITY GEAR- Not to be a "gear geek" but you need to buy quality gear when you are outfitting for GT. This does not mean that you have to shop at REI or Northface to get your gear. You can get quality gear at Wal-mart, but you have to shop smart and do some comparison shopping. The first thing that a lot cadets and new seniors do is to go out and buy a lot of cheap knock off items that look like the quality stuff. For instance, I don't know how many times I have seen a kid by a $10 "Elite Special Forces Survival Knife" with all sorts of handy features that falls apart the first time they use the "built in bottle opener and combination dinner set". Start off with a good quality Gerber or Buck that looks pretty utilitarian for about $25. The best bet is to get somebody whose had a lot of experience who can help you shop for good, reasonably priced stuff. Don't try to buy everything at once. You can borrow or adapt something else until you have saved enough for something good. This is a good reason for more experienced people to hold onto the gear they have replaced that is still in good workable condition. You can loan that stuff to newer members till they get their own.

And remember, throughout this post I have said buy quality not necessarily expensive. They are often two different things.

[ol'fido]

20) DON'T ALWAYS TRAIN IN THE SAME PLACES- Vary the places that you go to train at. If you always use the same nearby state park for your training, shake things up a bit. Go out and train in a variety of places all through your AO. The same thing could be said not just about GT training but SAREXs in general. Don't always use the same mission base. Go find some little backwater municipal airport and run a mission out of it. We tend to like to go to familiar places because we know where everything is, we know what resources are available, and after a while you tend to get a sixth sense of where they are going to set the targets. "But we go there because our radios are there and they have WIFI." Exactly! And when you get sent to some other group area or even into another wing, you will be lost because you have never got out of your comfort zone and had to figure this stuff out on the fly. Get out there. It's a big world.

[RADIOMAN015]

20) DON'T ALWAYS TRAIN IN THE SAME PLACES- Vary the places that you go to train at. If you always use the same nearby state park for your training, shake things up a bit. Go out and train in a variety of places all through your AO. The same thing could be said not just about GT training but SAREXs in general. Don't always use the same mission base. Go find some little backwater municipal airport and run a mission out of it. We tend to like to go to familiar places because we know where everything is, we know what resources are available, and after a while you tend to get a sixth sense of where they are going to set the targets. "But we go there because our radios are there and they have WIFI." Exactly! And when you get sent to some other group area or even into another wing, you will be lost because you have never got out of your comfort zone and had to figure this stuff out on the fly. Get out there. It's a big world.

I would agree totally with you that training (even simple orientation hiking & driving) over ones complete response area is a very good idea (in those wings that have worked on response areas for specific teams).  HOWEVER, on mission bases most wings have specific plans in place for each region having a mission base because the support available is known from that location.  Depending upon how big the wing is a mission base could even be at one location with perhaps some radio relay bases to assist throughout the wing if direct comms aren't available.
RM

[ol'fido]

If you don't have the capability to go in and set up a mission base anywhere from scratch, you're doing it wrong.

[Phil Hirons, Jr.]

21) When on actual or training GT missions make sure mission base / ICP informs local police / sheriff of your location and activity. (X 100 at night). John Q public sometimes gets bad ideas seeing people in camo lurking about especially with the old school DF gear. I've had the interesting experience of 2 squad cars doing the V block on the CAP van I was driving on a late night ELT search.