Photo By Staff Sgt. Michelle Brooks | Team BUSAR (Backcountry Unit Search and Rescue) a search and rescue organization based...... read more read more
Team BUSAR (Backcountry Unit Search and Rescue) and Air Force Security Forces squadrons from multiple states partnered to conduct search and rescue exercises during the PATRIOT 24 exercise in Camp Shelby, Mississippi, Feb. 19-21, 2024. PATRIOT is a Domestic Operations disaster-response training exercise conducted by National Guard units working with federal, state and local emergency management agencies and first responders.
Team BUSAR is an all-hazards search and rescue team supporting and assisting search and rescue operations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The team came to PATRIOT with the objective to integrate military and civil assets in big picture natural disaster operations.
The BUSAR members bring a comprehensive range of knowledge and skills in backcountry and outdoor exposure and also bring specialized professional experience from the National Park Service, Army, Navy and Air Force. Three members of Team BUSAR presently serve as U.S. Air Force Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape, Specialists (SERE): Tech. Sgt. Wells Holbrook, 134th Air Refueling Wing, and Tech. Sgt. Ricky Castorena-Ramirez and Senior Airman Chase Franklin, both from the 22nd Training Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base.
“BUSAR tends to specialize in backcountry operations, such as in the Smokies, but the invitation to PATRIOT allows us to expand our scope and skills to civil disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes and search and rescue operations that we have not had a lot of exposure to.” said Holbrook.
During the exercise, Holbrook and his team worked with Air Force Security Forces in a scenario in which a tornado struck a small city resulting in a mass casualty event. In addition, Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) teams were sweeping the scene.
“There is a challenge in integrating different command structures and skill sets with each other,” said Holbrook. “We try to figure out where we have specialties the security forces don't have but they have the manpower and logistics that we don’t have. Marrying those two types of structures is definitely instructive.”
| Date Taken: | 02.21.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 02.21.2024 16:39 |
| Story ID: | 464406 |
| Location: | MISSISSIPPI, US |
| Web Views: | 215 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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