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24 February 2007
MESQUITE,
Texas - On 17 February 2007, members of the Black Sheep Composite Squadron,
part of Group III, Texas Wing, Civil Air Patrol, took part in a Search
and Rescue Exercise, SAREX. Participants included 1st Lt Opal
McKinney, SM Jerry Barron, C/Amn Kasee Niskern, C/TSgt Andrew Smith,
C/A1C Tim Kleinmeier, C/MSgt Johanna Cohen, and C/A1C Andy Papson.
 The training included four exercises essential to conducting a
successful rescue. The first was a ramp check. “The cadets were given
information about a plane that was considered overdue”, said 1st Lt
McKinney. “They were to thoroughly check the Mesquite Metro Airport
for a specific plane’s tail number.”
Next, they conducted a missing person exercise. Cadets were told that
a four year old child had last been seen at the Mesquite Metro
Airport. The cadets were then to locate any evidence of this
hypothetical child in the area. A doll – representing the missing
child – had been placed in a nearby lightly wooded area for the cadets
to locate.
 Afterwards, an aircraft emergency locator transmitter (ELT) simulator
was hidden in a hangar. The cadets were to locate its beacon using
various electronic means. Following this, a physically demanding test
was conducted – the cadets were to carry a 100-pound pack on a
stretcher, over obstacles, without losing the “patient.” As a final
task, a few of the cadets took part in mission radio training, which
was supervised by 1st Lt Toby Buckalew, the Group III Communications
Officer.
Little did the squadron members suspect that an actual mission would
be assigned just three days later, on 20 February 2007. At 4:45 a.m.,
1st Lt Opal McKinney was notified that a satellite had picked up an ELT’s distress beacon. By 5:12 a.m., within an hour of the alert, 1st
Lt McKinney, SM Barron, C/MSgt Cohen, C/A1C Kleinmeier, and C/Capt
Rebecca McKinney proceeded to the coordinates they had been given,
near White Rock Lake.
Using the procedures they had practiced less than a week earlier, they
quickly realized that the signal was coming from a different location,
so they expanded the search area. They soon determined that the signal
was coming from Dallas Love Field Airport.
 Upon identifying themselves at the airport, they were escorted onto
the aircraft parking area to identify the source of the signal, which
was coming from a helicopter used for medical transport. The aircrew
had been unaware that the ELT had malfunctioned and was sending out
the distress signal, a condition that some times is caused by a “hard
landing.”
SM Barron commented later, “The crew was very appreciative, knowing
that somebody out there was looking after them.”
For their successful efforts, all team members earned the Civil Air
Patrol’s “Find” Ribbon, which was a first award in the case of SM
Barron and C/A1C Kleinmeier. It is unusual for members to earn the
ribbon so soon after completing training. SM Barron had recently
completed his Urban Direction Finding training during the SAREX
exercise.
Photo captions
[1] C/Amn Niskern and C/MSgt Cohen search the woods for a “missing
child”.
[2] The cadets prepare to safely carry a 100 pound pack through an
obstacle course.
[3] SM Barron, C/MSgt Cohen, C/Capt McKinney, and C/A1C Kleinmeier
proudly pose in front of the helicopter that had the malfunctioning
ELT.
Article and
photos submitted by 1st Lt Kelly
Castillo |
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