139th News

Airmen participate in search and recovery exercise

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman April Bachler
  • 139AV
St. Joseph, Mo. --  Airmen of the 139th Force Support Squadron participated in an annual search and recovery exercise Nov. 4 at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base. The exercise was designed to prepare its members for the task they may face in a real-world situation.
The scenario created was a crash site of a C-130 aircraft carrying six crew members. The aircraft collided in a tree line at a drop zone with no survivors. After the safety investigation board completed its mission, search and recovery team members began theirs.

The training took approximately three weeks to plan and coordinate. The exercise included a two-hour presentation and three hours of hands-on experience.
In a real-world situation, it would be two to three days for search and recovery to perform its duty.

The team has two members, Capt. Angelic Adams and Tech Sgt. Kevin Smith, with real-life experience they brought from active duty.

Smith has been with the 139th FSS for two years and is part of its full-time staff. His experience with search and recovery began while he was active duty with the Air Force.
His goal is to make each training exercise as realistic as possible to prepare the team for what they will face in a real-world situation. Smith is devoted to the team's mission.
"These people died for their country. They're due the utmost respect, so you do what you can," said Smith.