Marines and Indiana National Guard Execute Joint CASEVAC Communication Exercise

Photo By Maj. Lara Soto | Indiana Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Josh Castaneda instructs Marines on landing zone preparation and procedures during a flight safety briefing for a joint communications exercise with the 38th Combat Aviation Brigade, Indiana National Guard, at Camp Atterbury in Edinburgh, Indiana, on March 14, 2025. The joint communications exercise tested the Marines’ ability to rapidly deploy and establish secure communications in an operational environment. Upon insertion via UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, radio teams established encrypted high-frequency networks with the combat operations center, coordinated simulated medical evacuations, and executed air extractions, demonstrating their capability to maneuver and communicate in dynamic conditions alongside joint force partners. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Maj. Lara Soto)  

EDINBURGH, INDIANA, INDIANA, UNITED STATES

03.14.2025

Story by Maj. Lara Soto 

Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES)

CAMP ATTERBURY, Edinburgh, Indiana – U.S. Marines with Communication Company, 14th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division teamed up with the 38th Combat Aviation Brigade of the Indiana National Guard for a joint communications and casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) training exercise at Camp Atterbury on March 14, 2025. The exercise focused on enhancing interservice coordination, secure communication setup, and tactical medical evacuation procedures in a simulated operational environment.

Marine radio teams participated in the exercise by inserting and extracting via UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from Himsel Army Airfield to various training sites across Camp Atterbury. Upon insertion, each team established encrypted high-frequency (HF) communications with the unit’s Combat Operations Center (COC), simulating the rapid establishment of secure communications in an expeditionary environment.

A key component of the training involved the coordination of CASEVAC missions. Each team was tasked with requesting a medical evacuation for a simulated casualty, securing a landing zone, and loading the Marine onto a designated UH-60 for transport. Once complete, teams then requested extraction.

Joint coordination included comprehensive safety briefs, mission-specific HF instruction, and real-time communication across encrypted HF and VHF networks using systems such as the AN/PRC-160, AN/PRC-152, and AN/PRC-117G.

“This joint training provided an opportunity to refine communication procedures and CASEVAC coordination under realistic conditions,” said Master Sgt. Dominic Leto, transmissions chief with Communications Company. “Integrating air assets with ground-based radio operations strengthens our ability to respond quickly and effectively in joint operations.”

• Date Taken: 03.14.2025
• Date Posted: 03.24.2025 10:13
• Story ID: 493554
• Location: EDINBURGH, INDIANA, INDIANA, US