BISC - Worth your time.

[Eclipse]

I coordinated and then participated in the BISC - Basic Inland SAR Management Class.  This is the two day class that is provided by the AFRCC
and is intended as an overview / ramp-up / refresher for current and upcoming IC's.  It's open to basically anyone interested in spending the
time, however the basic requirements from the AFRCC were "SAR Leaders". People new to ES, or who aren't from CAP, will still get a great overview
of the AFRCC / CAP relationship, but will likely be in more of a follower role on day 2, which is actually fine.  I wish I had participated in this a long time ago.

For those who might be considering sponsoring one:

The max class size is 36 students, and you will be encouraged to find 8-10 people from outside agencies to participate - PD, FD, local SAR teams, etc.
We had a sampling from all over.  This is great exposure for both AFRCC and CAP, and as usual opens the eyes of people to who we are and how we can help.

You'll need a facility that is large enough to accommodate the entire class, including the breakout groups of 4-6 people for the practical on Sunday. (You have to be able to separate the groups enough to discourage cross-talk).   We were in a hangar, which worked pretty well except for the (very) occasional biz-jet coming or going.  We also got lucky on the weather as it was basically perfect.

There is no cost for the class or the materials that the AFRCC provides.  The coordinator will send a container with materials, etc., ahead to the class POC.

Saturday is a classroom day which includes light overviews of AFRCC history, the CAP-AFRCC relationship, and discussions of MOU's and call-up policies and procedures.  In the afternoon there is more specific discussion of the management of a SAR, including dealing with the media, some theory on search areas, resource deployment and the like.

Sunday is a practical table-top, and this is the best, most well-thought-out tabletop I've ever participated in. (Made better by not having to be both the OPFOR and the operators, which is what many CAP members have to do.)

Groups are set up by the AFRCC with an eye towards mixing the bunches up, separating like skill sets, and directing that if you are something "in real life", you should not do that on this exercise.    My team consisted of an experienced GBD (me), experienced pilot/AOBD, a newer mission observer, and a member of a local ground SAR team.

For the exercise, I was made IC, the AOBD did the majority of planning (though he cheated a bit and did some air ops early on), the MO transitioned to AOBD, and the non-CAP person was intel / PAO and helped with land nav when we got to that level.

A general briefing is presented to all-hands, and then the instructors come around and present the exercise in parts.  The exercise evolves like a typical
mission - early on you get the background data on "your" wing, available resources, and the initial details on the mission.  Each part has a set of objectives, tasks, or questions you need to accomplish, and a set time to complete them - as soon as the team feels they are ready, you "call the AFRCC", they listen to your plan and answer your questions, and if you're moving in the right direction , you get the next part, and the mission evolves.

I'm pretty good at tactics, and can management SME's well, but the science and theory of SAR has always intimidated me.  Like a lot of life, you don't realize what you "know" until you can get past your trepidation and jump into the deep end.  My team worked like a well-oiled machine, which is pretty impressive when you consider it was the same kind of random choice as a typical mission would be.

No one knew everything, but most of the time "someone" knew what was needed, and could bring the rest of the team along.  A lot of times we were all in the same headspace, and one or the other was one step ahead of the others because he or she had a moments time to think while the others were plotting, researching, or otherwise engaged - it really demonstrated how important a full staff with lots of eyes is.

At the search-theory level, you really have to juggle variables, get into the head of the person you're looking for, and constantly walk the line between
moving too fast, which could cause negative consequences later, or moving too slowly which could cause negative consequences for the person you're looking for.

Just like a real mission, you don't have all the data you need during the initial spin-ups, the search areas can be impossibly large, and not all the
data you have is relevant or accurate in the way you actually need it.  The rest of the world, of course, doesn't stop either, so you have to deal with
changing weather, an the limitations of your resources.  You don't have to deal with mechanical breakdowns, competing non-mission priorities, or any "he's touching my stuff" nonsense that CAP people have to deal with while trying to find that specific needle in a haystack of needles.

I have to say, the theory and planning parts were a lot more fun than I expected. I can see why people who get the bug really dive into this stuff.
There's nothing like when the math of reception distance or an aircraft's descent rate intersects with your 1/2 baked theory of where and why a missing
person did something, and all of a sudden you go from a sectional to a grid with a high POD.

It also shows, in very simple terms, why those teams and planners who do strong theory work, with good intel early-on, have a high / fast success rate vs. those teams that jump in the car and just start wandering in a "non-purposeful" manner.

If you have the opportunity to take one of these classes, I highly recommend it. 

[sardak]

Glad you liked the class. I've taken it a couple of times just to keep up on changes.

The sad part is that the class is not required for any CAP ES positions, including any level of IC. As a result, there are far fewer members who have taken the class than should have. The same is true for the 5 day Inland SAR Planner class. These classes should be required for certain ES positions. BITD the 5 day class counted as a substitute for RSC in professional development.

The last time our wing scheduled the class, only 5 or 6 CAP members signed up over a month and a half, despite constant reminders. We opened up the class to the outside world and filled the remaining 30 slots in less than a day. Unfortunately, a week before the class AFRCC canceled it due to a lack of travel money.

Mike

[Eclipse]

It does qualify for the school requirement for the ES Specialty Track - Master Level, but that's it as far as PD or being linked
to any qualifications.  It should come as no surprise that most of the most proficient of the wing's ES people are multiple offenders
on the 2-day and many have also completed the 5.

I would absolutely like to see it required for IC's and probably Branch Director or higher.  The structured approach is something sorely lacking
in base staff who haven't been to a formal school.

I knew before we scheduled that the interest was high in my wing, since it hadn't been local for about 6 years - if it hadn't been
so close to other major activities (some participants, including myself, have three full weekends this month booked for CAP, and were involved in almost every-other since February).

We've got another scheduled for 2013 and I expect to fill that class as well.

[Short Field]

I attended the 5 day Inland SAR Planners Course and then hosted a course several years ago.   I have yet to see anything related to the course used on an actual SAR or even a SAREX.    I am now persona non grata in the wing for pushing the scientific method vice the "let's just go fly" attitude for searches.   

You can lead a horse to water but ...   

[SARDOC]

I'm actually in the process of trying to sign up for this class.  However since NHQ changed the Link to register, it seems that I can't.  Does anybody have any idea how to sign up for this now?

[Eclipse]

Well, it has to be hosted somewhere near you. 

ILWG will have it back next June, and MOWG is hosting it in July this year.

Send an email here: for the schedule:  sarschool@langley.af.mil

[Eclipse]

Just got word that funding for travel for BISCs was cut.  No class for us this year.

[PHall]

Just got word that funding for travel for BISCs was cut.  No class for us this year.

Not exactly a surprise there.

[ProdigalJim]

I attended the 5 day Inland SAR Planners Course and then hosted a course several years ago.   I have yet to see anything related to the course used on an actual SAR or even a SAREX.    I am now persona non grata in the wing for pushing the scientific method vice the "let's just go fly" attitude for searches.   

You can lead a horse to water but ...

True dat! I did the five-day in January and came away ready to evangelize. But I'm having the same experience as you.

[Eclipse]

I attended the 5 day Inland SAR Planners Course and then hosted a course several years ago.   I have yet to see anything related to the course used on an actual SAR or even a SAREX.    I am now persona non grata in the wing for pushing the scientific method vice the "let's just go fly" attitude for searches.   

You can lead a horse to water but ...

True dat! I did the five-day in January and came away ready to evangelize. But I'm having the same experience as you.

Amazing and sad.  Anyone who actually understands this stuff knows that people literally live and die in the Planning Section.
Brute-forcing anything more complicated then a ramp search wastes time, money, and could be the difference between a rescue and a recovery.

[Майор Хаткевич]

Uniform drift, but I've seen that patch worn instead of the reverse us flag. Is that in the regs?

[Eclipse]

Uniform drift, but I've seen that patch worn instead of the reverse us flag. Is that in the regs?

No - that's not where it's worn, on any uniform.

Right sleeve of the flight suit or utilities as one of the optionals, or left pocket of the field uniform as an optional.

The flag is mandatory, in its respective position depending on the uniform, regardless of what wing you're in.

[Майор Хаткевич]

means I get to bust a certain majors chops.

[Майор Хаткевич]

39-1 Says Right shoulder.

ICL says:

d. Optional right shoulder patches worn on the BDUs and field uniforms. Those
patches removed to wear the reverse American flag on the right shoulder of these uniforms are
now authorized to be worn on the left shoulder or centered on the lower portion of the left pocket
if the Wing patch has been authorized as a mandatory item by the commander concerned.

[SARDOC]

I finally did finally take the two day class.  I highly recommend it to those wanting to know more about how our ES program should really work.

I'm waiting for the FY2014 schedule to come out so I can schedule the 5 day class.