Pilot Recovery Mission
CPL Muth documents the vital statistic of the casualty prior to extraction. Also pictured MSG Sperin (76th SPT BDE) and CPT Waters (3BN 5BDE). Photo and Story by SGT Ted Burzynski
GEORGIA GARRISON TRAINING CENTER, Hinesville, Georgia
By 2LT Ted Burzynski
Search teams from 5th Brigade, designated Blackhorse, Phoenix and Titan, participated in a field search to locate evidence from a downed aircraft as well locate and extract survivors and possible casualties.
Teams Blackhorse and Titan were inserted for the initial search of the area assigned to 5th Brigade with Team Phoenix designated as a reserve team that would deploy in support of Teams Blackhorse and Phoenix as the mission developed. The Search teams from 5th Brigade were successful in their mission, recovering and extracting the injured pilot as well as locating and securing other evidence from the incident.
Search teams consisted of one SARSPEC II qualified searcher, an officer and other team members assigned as navigator, pace counter, communications specialist, documenter and a medical technician supplied to the unit from the 76th Support Brigade. Team members were assigned randomly from within the Brigade to test the interoperability of the soldiers and their training to function as one cohesive unit based on a real world mission scenario. Very few of the soldiers on the teams had ever worked together prior to this mission. This decision by 5th Brigade leadership was wildly successful and proved that GSDF training programs in place are solid and produce skilled soldiers.
