ES officers inside

[WoodlandSARman]

Whats your training plan for the rest of the year into the first of next year?

[JohnKachenmeister]

I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you.

[Stonewall]

What exactly are you looking for?  Ideas for training?  I've got a few OPORDs already written up I can send you.  Everything from Air/Ground Exercises to Survival.  May help, may not.

[LittleIronPilot]

I am new to CAP and the new ES Officer at my squadron. While they have a good handle on training for the rest of the year, any ideas, OPORDS, etc. that people can pass along to me would be GREATLY appreciated for next year.

[Stonewall]

I PM'd Pylon who said a thread that was taken offline earlier will return later tonight.  When it does, I'll snatch a quote on some training from there and offer a bit of advice along with a few OPORDs for you and anyone else to use.  I always found it helpful to have someone else's work be a starting point for planning.

[floridacyclist]

I'd like some of those too please if you don't mind.
gfloyd@tallahasseecap.org

Incidentally, you can get a good idea of our plans at http://www.tallahasseecap.org/newmembers.shtml ...also by checking out the unit calendar on the left side of the home page.

[IceNine]

I would also like to jump on the badwagon and get some of this stuff, maybe we could get Lt. Col. Lanis to throw some of this stuff up on his site.

[arajca]

Find out what ES goals your squadron has. See what training is needed to meet, or to at least progress toward, those goals.

If your sqdn hasn't set any ES goals, make one of your first orders of business to set some.

Of course, YMMV

[Stonewall]

Here are 4 documents.

[Stonewall]

Here's 3 more.  I think the 2nd one is the schedule for the first one.

If you like'em, use'em.  If not, throw'em out.

[floridacyclist]

danke

[Stonewall]

danke

Bitte

[WoodlandSARman]

If anyone has stuff that they can only e-mail PM me for my e-mail address. I am just trying to get a feel for what everyone is doing so I can have ideas to base my group ES training on.

My commander and DC are wanting an outline pretty soon for the group training plan so I am trying to get some ideas on top of what I am throwing out to them.

[SARMedTech]

danke

Bitte

While we are reading docs about winterexs, can anyone tell me if mickey mouse boots are an "acceptable uniform variation" for cold weather ops/exs. An NG friend of mind has a pair that a practically brand new and since he has been medically discharged, he has offered to sell them to me for a whopping $10. I deal I cant refuse. 

Ive also been looking at alot of so-called "tactical" gloves made by 5.11, etc...you  know what I mean, the rather high speed things that have articulated padding in the fingers for dexterity,extra pad for lifting and tough skins for extreme duty....At the risk of sounding high speed, I can see many practical uses for these, especially since many of them are also ECW rated.  I also wouldnt mind recommendations for ECW boots. I generally wear jungles which is all I have needed so far and I have a pair of Bates EMS duty boots, but Im not trashing them tromping through snow and mud. Ill buy a pair that can get trashed but I shelled out well over $100 for these and I use them strictly for EMS and TacMed.

[Stonewall]

I think it's relatively easy to plan a 6 month or even a yearly training calendar.  But that's just me.  Remember to delegate, advise and supervise.

Start off a FY:

10/07:  Air/Ground Communications Exercise.  Ground and Air teams operate with the sole purpose of communicating via voice and non-voice signals over long distances (non-urban).  Signal panels, vectoring, signal mirrors, natural signals, and so on.

11/07:  Mountain Training, or whatever your specific terrain is in your area.  Ground and Air teams can either work together or separate on this, but it's always best to have them work together.  Combine ELT and Missing Person search as part of this excercise.  Never hurts to have simultaneous tasks assigned as well.

12/07:  Winter Specific Training.  Train for SAR in the winter-like conditions for your area.  Concentrate on cold weather equipment and conducting missions while under adverse (cold) conditions.  Good time to throw in a quality C.O.L.D. survival class (COLD is an acronym, know what it is?)

01/08:  Bring in the new year with an ES classroom weekend.  That's right, an all inclusive GTM/GTL, GES, ROA, First Aid/CPR, training weekend.  Hold a ground school for potential aircrew members.  Make it a CAP ES 101 Intro.  Only requirement is that seniors have Level I and Cadets have their 1st stripe.

02/08:  Flip Flop time.  Huh?  Come on, didn't I say to be creative in another thread.  This is where all the ground pounding ninjas get some aircrew orientation.  How can you be a good GTL/GTM if  you have no experience with what the aircrews you're working with are doing 1200 ft above you?  Same goes for the hangar talkers.  They need to spend a day in the woodline picking bugs off you and seeing why it's so darn hard to set up some signal panels at a moments notice.  Be creative.

03/08:  Disaster Relief Time.  Come on, everyone's favorite training.  Simulated flood readings at multiple bridges.  Time to fill some sandbags and do some damage assessments.  You'll be shutting off lots of ELTs at airfields and basins if you live near water.  It's not fun, but it is necessary.

04/08:  SAR Eval Train up.  This is where you hone your skills, get all your paperwork in order, do gear inspections, check credentials and make sure everyone knows their job.  Throw some simple DF sorties out there, a missing person scenario, and maybe a few DR sorties.  I've had AF evaluators sitting at a "clue" out in middle of the woods just to see our reaction when we found it.  ACTIONS AT A CLUE!  What do you do?

05/08:  SAR Eval.  Pucker time.  How often are SAR Evals anyway?  Once a year?  Once every two years?  Seems like we had them all the time for some reason.  Anyway, you gotta plan for that big one.

06/08:  Ground Team Skills Training.  This is where scenarios aren't called for, but rather have the GTLs and other advanced ground gods spend quality time with their padawan learners, teaching the ropes.  No, actually teaching the ROPES.  Honing basic land nav skills.  Taking what they learned in January and making sure it stuck in their thick skulls.  Check their gear, make sure they have things dummy corded to themselves.  At NGSAR in '99 by the time it was over, I had a collection of like 12 leathermans, among other gear.  Why?  Because people didn't believe they'd lose their gear.  Anyway, go down the Mission Essential Task List (METL), master basic skills.  It's a round robin learning weekend.  Hands on for everyone.

07/08:  uh oh, Encampment and NCSA time.  You gonna have an FTX or ES weekend in July?  What about August when everyone whose anyone is at NESA, Hawk or if they're real men (or women), PJOC...  It's up to you, but you may find yourself rubbing two sticks together alone in the field.

08/08:  Same as 07/08.  Seriously, plan it and they will come.  It's a good time for water safety (drown proofing) and water familiarization training.  Teach the blokes how to make a flotation device out of their BDU pants, but make sure they know to wear underwear before hand.  Have a life guard go over some basic water safety/rescue techniques.  Not because we're swift water rescue rats, but because we may need to save one of our own non-swimming dudes... Remember, "throw, tow, row, then go".

09/08:  Last month in FY 08, what do you do?.  Another Commo Exercise.  Work those radios and have those aircrews direct the GTs where to do, either in a van or on land, but usually both.  It's long hard work, and doing it just once a year ain't gonna cut the mustard.

I threw 12 things out there, well, 10 or 11 in a matter of minutes.  Brainstorm with some gung-ho hooah types who know what they're doing.  Identify 10 to 12 basic scenarios and goals, then task'em out.  You take 2 or 3 FTXs since you're the Group ES God, and have some other commandos work on the others.  Don't forget to advertise your plan.  Nothing sux worse than getting word about some high speed save the world training 5 days before it happens.  I never put out an OPORD later than 1 month in advance.  And up to 6 months prior the whole wing would have dates (in stone) that an ES training activity was happening.  

And don't just do it yourself.  Like I say, delegate!  You can be the project officer but have some squared away cadet be your scenario guy.  Have a leader's recon of the training site a few weeks in advance, then a week in advance, then a few days in advance.  Don't show up 0700 Saturday morning rushing to find a place to hide an ELT that you didn't PMCS, only to find the batter is 10-7.

Hooah?  Hooah!

[Stonewall]

While we are reading docs about winterexs, can anyone tell me if mickey mouse boots are an "acceptable uniform variation" for cold weather ops/exs. An NG friend of mind has a pair that a practically brand new and since he has been medically discharged, he has offered to sell them to me for a whopping $10. I deal I cant refuse. 

Ive also been looking at alot of so-called "tactical" gloves made by 5.11, etc...you  know what I mean, the rather high speed things that have articulated padding in the fingers for dexterity,extra pad for lifting and tough skins for extreme duty....At the risk of sounding high speed, I can see many practical uses for these, especially since many of them are also ECW rated.  I also wouldnt mind recommendations for ECW boots. I generally wear jungles which is all I have needed so far and I have a pair of Bates EMS duty boots, but Im not trashing them tromping through snow and mud. Ill buy a pair that can get trashed but I shelled out well over $100 for these and I use them strictly for EMS and TacMed.

Dude, who dies with the most gear wins.  Didn't we discuss this? 

Micky Mouse boots, yes, a definate plus for cold wx ops.  I knew more than a few guys that wore them in Virginia.  They're an issue item and are practical.  Better to look like Micky than to look like your feet got blown up by an IED.

Wear your 5.11 gloves, or WileyX gloves, or Blackhawk gloves.  If they're practical and don't detract too much from your "military" appearance, go for it.

ECW boots?  Extreme Cold Weather?  I have Danners and Matterhorns.  Worn them for years in the Army and CAP.  Wore Matterhorns in Washington State in November in the snow during SERE school.  I faired better than a few others.

[Al Sayre]

As a new ES Officer, I recommend that you don't put the cart before the horse.  Before you start working up training schedules, review you unit's qualifications and make sure that everyone is current and the records are up to snuff.  Here's some things to think about

Make sure that all of your Officers have completed OPSEC, and that you don't have people holding qualifications if they don't also hold the prerequesites. 

Make a list of all of the Squadron's gear, and compile a list of personally owned assets that members would be willing to make available e.g. aircraft, trucks, trailers, generators, tents, radios etc.  Get this to your DOS

Determine if your Squadron has a focus i.e. Ground Teams, Aircrew, Communications, Logistics, Mission Staff etc. and if you don't have one, consider what is the best fit based on your members interests, qualifications, capabilities and the needs of your Wing and local community. 

However, don't become such specialists that you can only do one or two mission profiles. [Rant] I was looking over my Wings' qual's yesterday and found that I have 2 Squadrons that have no ground capabilities.  What do you think the chances of them getting called for a simple ELT hunt on their own airport are? answer- zero.  Since they don't have anyone that is UDF, let alone GT qualified, and don't have any ground DF equipment.  Why in this day of short budgets would I as a DOS or IC send an aircraft to find an ELT on an airfield and then have to send a GT/UDF team to find the aircraft on the field and turn it off, considering that when I get the call from AFRCC I can usually send 2 UDF guys and an Lper straight to the airport nearest the coordinates in a van and get it done faster and cheaper?   I personally think that every Aircrew person should be UDF qualified, and that we should be putting handheld DF equipment onboard every aircraft.[/Rant]

Check with your Wing DOS and find out what capabilities are lacking in the Wing.  If you can fill in the holes, you are more likely to get called.

Once you know what you need then you can plan the trainng.

[LittleIronPilot]

Thanks for the insight and advice everyone!

[Stonewall]

Capt Sayre is right.  I was just jumping right in as if I was back at wing in ES.  Lots of stuff that needs to be done as a new ES guy at group like spending a few days going through everything.  Look under all the old records, dust off old equipment lists and maybe find a recall roster.

To me, standardization across the group would be a good start.  You have to start small.  Like shooting, aim small miss small.

I just found this, a list of ES equipment for our squadron van.  Heck, make it a weekend event.  Get all the vans together in your group and wash/wax them, do a major PMCS on them, and standardize them.  So when Lt Col Tentpeg from Hooah Cadet Squadron shows up to drive the Gung Ho Composite Squadron's van, he doesn't have to worry that one van's equipment is different from another.  It can be tricky, difficult, and sometimes futile, but if can work, it works great.

Van Equipment List

Van ES Box (Rubbermaid container)
-Search Light AC adapter
-Orange Vests (15)
-Maglite flashlight
-Extra fuses
-1 roll of 100 mph tape
-Clipboard with notepad and pen
-Wool blanket
-Flares
-Jumper cable, tow straps, reflectors, etc.
-First aid kit (not to be used as GT medic kit)
-Large trash bags
-Window cleaner and paper towels


Communications Kit (small tool box)
-2 Icom HT radios
-2 DC chargers/power source
-3 AA batter packs
-Spare Batteries (new), enough to run three radios (AA, D cell and 9v)
-Electrical tape
-Spare parts
-Assorted tools (hammer, screwdrivers, pliers, saw, etc)

DF Kit
-L'per
-Magmount DF antennas
-Jet Stream

Van Map/Forms/Manual Case
- Emergency Service Forms/Manuals
-Contact information for emergency service organizations
-Wing contact information
-Van incident report form (Van Notebook)
-Regional Maps
   ~ADC Regional Metropolitan DC
   ~Regional Northern Virginia
-State Maps
   ~Virginia
   ~Maryland
   ~Pennsylvania
   ~West Virginia
-State and National Parks
-Virginia and Maryland Gazetteer map (it's a topographic atlas of Virginia and is set up to use GPS) 
-Virginia and Maryland Airport Information Guide

Miscellaneous Van Equipment
-5 gal water canister
-Jack and wheel change equipment
-Litter

[Stonewall]

Here's something else I found.  When I became the WING GSAR Officer, it was one of those many "downs" that we've all experienced in our careers in CAP.  I know this stuff is old to some of you, but I think it can be used with a few modifications to fit today's missions as well as your local unit.

Similar to you, WoodlandSARDude, I had just taken on a new job at wing, but our wing was about the size of most groups.  Use it or not, I'm throwing it out there.
---------------------------------------------------


MEMORANDUM FOR WING DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY SERVICES

Date: 17 DEC 01

Subject:  Proposals and ideas for the National Capital Wing Emergency Services Department, Ground Operations Branch.

In the 9 years that I've been operating as a ground team leader in National Capital Wing I've seen the wing's program fluctuate in quality.  In the past 3 years however, I've seen the quality of training and ground operations fall to an all-time low.  I believe this to be due to a lack of continuity in training and standards; sub-standard turn around time of 101 cards; lack of desire for more than one person to perform the duties; and most importantly the drive and motivation to get things rolling to a fully operational level.

My goal as wing Ground Search and Rescue Officer is to work closely with and communicate regularly with the Wing ES Officer and other ES support staff while maintaining a constant dialogue with ES representatives at the squadrons that comprise the National Capital Wing.  More importantly, I want to instill a desire from within the squadrons, especially the cadets, to participate in all training offered at the wing level and above.  In my experience, the number one reason for lack of participation is finding willing seniors to transport and participate in ground operations with cadets, and the lack of dissemination of information regarding training opportunities.

New standards have been set for CAP nationwide, many of which I am not yet familiar with.  From what I have read already, it's obvious that the new program is not more difficult, but more detailed, mostly from a paperwork/signing off standpoint.  I believe that if we push the standards out to the user and inform them of these standards and that they are achievable; we can increase our ground operations capabilities and readiness.

Below is a list of ideas and proposals with a brief description of each.  While I realize these items can't happen overnight, if at all, I would simply ask for your support and constructive criticism of these ideas.

1.  Offer one training exercise each month to include certain annual missions that have been taking place for many years like TACCOMEX and the Wing Mountain Mission while substituting a wing mission for MER SAR College.  Each mission will focus on a certain theme like Electronic Search, Lost Person Search, Urban Operations, Air/Ground Coordination, Classroom training, and others.  Each training exercise will be very well planned and an Operations Order (OPORD) issued to all squadrons not later than one-month prior.

2.  Create a list of qualified Ground Team Leaders (GTL) from the entire wing and have a call-out roster that we can use to contact them during actual missions.  We can also use this list to send electronic correspondence regularly to advertise training opportunities and other ES related information, thus putting the information in the hand of the end-user.

3.  Have two Ground Operations staging areas, one in VA and one in MD/DC.  By this I mean having a fully capable and supplied wing vehicle based at Davison AAF, Bolling, or Andrews so a ground team, regardless of squadron, can rally at those sites.  If a call went out for a ground team to form and squadrons were notified, qualified ground team members could simply link up at one of these staging areas to find a GTL waiting for them.  Additionally, Mission Base can be set up accordingly from these positions.  Right now, to my knowledge, there are only two squadrons that may be able to deploy a fully functional and qualified ground team.

4.  Offer first aid training/qualifications 3 to 4 times a year and get at least 2 people qualified to teach and certify CAP members in Standard First Aid/CPR.  Instructor courses are offered at Ft. Belvoir and other local ARC locations throughout our area. 

5.  Acquire a second wing Directional Finder for use by ground teams.   Few squadrons possess L'Pers for their ground team, or if they do they don't work.  Again, this would be a part of staging a mission ready vehicle in a designated location.

6.  I would like a cadet to assist me with my duties at the wing level.  Someone who can act as a cadet commander or C/OIC of training activities where cadets are involved.  Preferably a cadet officer who is GTM qualified should hold this position.  This individual can also sit with the CAC during their regular meetings.

7.  Promote the purchasing and use of NEXTEL cell phones.  Many members have cell phones and some have Nextel.  By no means am I suggesting making them mandatory or requiring them, but simply recommend them to people who would otherwise have a cellular phone.  The benefit of having a Nextel phone is the ability to send text messages via the internet so as to call out a ground team, and there is the direct connect feature for use like a hand-held radio.  Regardless, compiling a list of cellular and pager numbers can increase our communications capability.  This list should include NEXTEL direct connect ID numbers.

8.  Create an ES specific web site that is either linked to the wing site or maintained by ES staff separately.  The site can have Operations Orders (OPORD) for future missions, downloadable wing specific ES related forms, an ES photo gallery, and a means for squadron personnel to get current data regarding ES operations and activities.  Additionally, I would like to develop and maintain a list of e-mail addresses throughout the wing of anyone who is interested in receiving pertinent information about wing ES operations.

9.  Simplify the 101 application process for members requesting specialty ratings in GES, GTM, and GTL.  All too often cadets and seniors are precluded from participating in ES activities because they don't have an ES card although they've completed all the requirements.  Air Operations personnel require a lot more scrutiny for their qualifications, but the first three levels in ground ops is quite simple; do the task, take the test, be a member.  Applications should not be turned away for not having a photocopy of their CAP ID; we can find that in our own system.  Instead of returning the paperwork because it's not legible, call the individual and clear the mistake up. 

10.  Equipment, regardless of squadron ownership, needs to be mission ready at all times.  This includes vehicles with adequate fuel, DFs and radios with batteries, and stocked first aid supplies.  I'd like to develop a quality control system that is simple and maintained by the squadron, perhaps even a cadet ES representative.

11.  Conduct joint-wing training exercises with units from VA, MD, and other units outside DC wing wishing to coordinate such an effort.  Additionally, training should be conducted on a limited basis with other SAR organizations within our local boundaries.  It's a realistic possibility to work with other wings and organizations when called to a real world search and we should train accordingly.

I certainly don't expect to launch these ideas immediately, but rather gradually as we enter into the New Year and of course with the blessing of senior ES and Wing staff.  Naturally, I would also solicit ideas from other ground operators throughout the wing, especially those at the squadron who may be as eager as we are to  hit the ground running.



KIRT BOWDEN, Major, CAP
Ground Search and Rescue Officer