They're calling it "Angel Thunder." MCM
Major international drill based at D-M to focus on rescue skills, coordination By Carol Ann Alaimo ARIZONA DAILY STAR Published: 11.15.2008 http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/267361 The Angel Thunder rescue exercise began in 2006 as a local effort at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, which is home to several combat-rescue squadrons. The idea caught on at the Pentagon, and the effort now includes aircraft from different branches of the service and personnel from several allied nations and non-military agencies. To troops downed in combat, few sights are sweeter than the approach of military rescuers. In a few weeks, Tucson will be at the center of efforts to speed up that lifesaving process. Personnel from around the globe will converge at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base from Dec. 1 to Dec. 12 for the largest rescue exercise of its kind. The effort, dubbed Angel Thunder, will involve the U.S. Army and Air Force, troops from Germany, Chile, Colombia and observers from Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Pakistan. Several non-military U.S. agencies such as the State and Justice departments, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office, also will take part in the drills, which aim to smooth interaction between military branches, allied nations and civilian agencies. With about 450 personnel involved, Angel Thunder "is the most complex and largest Department of Defense personnel- recovery exercise to date," said a news release from Air Combat Command in Langley, Va. D-M will be at the hub of the effort, but most of the mock rescue action will take place elsewhere in Arizona and in New Mexico. Tucsonans may notice some unfamiliar aircraft in the skies during the drills, such as Vietnam-era UH-1N Huey helicopters, which will be used to airlift personnel and equipment to and from training. But D-M officials predict minimal impact on city residents because some of the base's normal training will be suspended during the exercises, and the heaviest traffic will be at remote sites. For many of the military participants, the drills will serve as pre-deployment training for missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Maj. Brett Hartnett, a D-M rescue pilot and project officer in charge of the event. Some of the practice runs are classified - the Defense Department doesn't want enemies knowing the methods used by military rescuers - so few details are being released, Hartnett said. But a major part of training will center on a mock earthquake in a foreign country near a combat zone - the same scenario that arose in Pakistan a few years back when U.S. combat rescuers in Afghanistan were diverted over the border to aid civilian survivors. Military rescuers often are called upon to save civilians during natural disasters abroad and at home. No matter who needs saving, many basic rescue skills are the same, Hartnett said. Such training is crucial to keeping skills sharp, and ensuring agencies can work together well, Hartnett said. "We need to do what we need to do to bring the kids back home," he said. The Angel Thunder rescue exercise began in 2006 as a local effort at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, which is home to several combat-rescue squadrons. The idea caught on at the Pentagon, and the effort now includes aircraft from different branches of the service and personnel from several allied nations and non-military agencies. Contact reporter Carol Ann Alaimo at 573-4138 or at [EMAIL PROTECTED] All content copyright © 1999-2008 AzStarNet, Arizona Daily Star and its wire services and suppliers and may not be republished without permission. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution, or retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the expressed written consent of Arizona Daily Star or AzStarNet is prohibited. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Mark Crispin Miller's "News From Underground" newsgroup. To unsubscribe, send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] OR go to http://groups.google.com/group/newsfromunderground and click on the "Unsubscribe or change membership" link in the yellow bar at the top of the page, then click the "Unsubscribe" button on the next page. For more News From Underground, visit http://markcrispinmiller.com -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
