Thursday, March 13, 2008
Blog name
Ok, so I was talking on CAPTalk today and realized that although "That Others May Live" is real catchy and what not, it takes FOREVER to type and isn't real easy to remember, espcially since I had to put "AZ" on the end. So... I am holding a contest to rename this blog. Something short and sweet like CAPBlog, CAPTalk, etc, but that captures the fact that this blog is ground team oriented. So, post in the comments with your idea, and I'll pick my favorite one (that isn't already taken) and change it up. Thanks!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Identified a weakenss
Our new GT spent all of Sunday training in the field. This was invaluable, as we identified some weaknesses in the cadets navigation skills. First, we realized that compass skills need work:
"Team Bravo, Team Alpha. South mountain is on a heading of 3-8-0 degrees from our location, over."
"Team Alpha, Team Bravo. Be advised. There are only three hundred sixty degrees in a circle, over."
"Team Bravo, Team Alpha. We are heading north on a heading of 1-6-8 degrees."
"Team Alpha, Team Bravo. Walking backwards is not advised in this terrain, over."
So, we are going to work on that. We also found that mapwork is needed. No funny radio calls for this one. We just got incorrect coordinates on two occasions, which made linking up with the other team tricky at best. One thing I learned is how important it is for everyone in a team to understand basic compass work. After the compass man gave the headings to the comms man, they could have stopped right there if the comms man recognized the problem with the statements.
The older members weren't free from error either. I didn't have spare batteries for my GPS in my bag, making my unit useless after a while. Many people didn't have snack bars to munch on, so by the time dinner rolled around, they were very hungry. Even our illustrious leader had the wrong maps for our practice area today. Oops :)
But hey, this is WHY we train like we fight. We can recognize weaknesses in training before we go on a mission. Each GT should go out in the field together at least once every other month. Practice with their gear, make sure they have what they need, get map and compass experience, etc. Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend our next practice session, as it is on a weeknight and we meet nearly 90 minutes from my location. So, I will post again after our next training, or if anything big happens with the Guidance mission! Currently, the Ops Plan is at the Group Level.
"Team Bravo, Team Alpha. South mountain is on a heading of 3-8-0 degrees from our location, over."
"Team Alpha, Team Bravo. Be advised. There are only three hundred sixty degrees in a circle, over."
"Team Bravo, Team Alpha. We are heading north on a heading of 1-6-8 degrees."
"Team Alpha, Team Bravo. Walking backwards is not advised in this terrain, over."
So, we are going to work on that. We also found that mapwork is needed. No funny radio calls for this one. We just got incorrect coordinates on two occasions, which made linking up with the other team tricky at best. One thing I learned is how important it is for everyone in a team to understand basic compass work. After the compass man gave the headings to the comms man, they could have stopped right there if the comms man recognized the problem with the statements.
The older members weren't free from error either. I didn't have spare batteries for my GPS in my bag, making my unit useless after a while. Many people didn't have snack bars to munch on, so by the time dinner rolled around, they were very hungry. Even our illustrious leader had the wrong maps for our practice area today. Oops :)
But hey, this is WHY we train like we fight. We can recognize weaknesses in training before we go on a mission. Each GT should go out in the field together at least once every other month. Practice with their gear, make sure they have what they need, get map and compass experience, etc. Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend our next practice session, as it is on a weeknight and we meet nearly 90 minutes from my location. So, I will post again after our next training, or if anything big happens with the Guidance mission! Currently, the Ops Plan is at the Group Level.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
ES stuff goin down out here
1) National Board approved the boonie cap and orange shirts for ground teams. Hooah. Way to go national board. It makes me happy that the new command staff is willing to look at necessity more than "how does it look", but also asks "how does the Air Force feel about this?" Everytime a CAP-SAR team goes to a SAR conference, the reaction is pretty much the same. You wear CAMOFLAUGE on SAR!?!? Well, now we wear orange too, if we want. My GT boss submitted this proposal to our wing 2 months ago, so I'm sure he's down with it, and we will all be getting orange as soon as national approves it. As for the boonie hats, he doesn't like the way it looks on the media, neither do I. He and I agree that it is a good item in the field, but when we are around people (like those media types) we should wear AF uniform items, like the regular BDU cover. I haven't heard much about what the rank and file thinks of this. I'm especially interested in what Midway6 has to say. He usually catches sides of things I miss.
2) Planning an op! My roomate is a saftey intern at Guidance Helicopter Inc, and we were given a great opportunity. They want to practice implementing their newly minted saftey response plan. Basically, they want to know what to do when they lose a bird. Who to call, what to say, and how to handle the media (damn they're everywhere). What does this translate to for us? They want to fly a whirleybird somewhere remote, land, and set off a practice beacon. We will then pretend it's the real thing. Guidance calls the sherriff, CAP, etc. We stage and go. The GT I'm on is just getting formed, and has limited field experiance, so this is a great setup for a real life scenario they can use. Additionally, the Group II planes can DF the beacon, while scanning for *ghasp* a real live target! Squadron ES officers should discuss exercises like this with local FBOs. This kind of dual training gets the CAP name out there, provides a realistic environment, and develops a friendship between agencies. Tentative date is April 19th, so expect an AAR after that, if not any more updates beforehand!
2) Planning an op! My roomate is a saftey intern at Guidance Helicopter Inc, and we were given a great opportunity. They want to practice implementing their newly minted saftey response plan. Basically, they want to know what to do when they lose a bird. Who to call, what to say, and how to handle the media (damn they're everywhere). What does this translate to for us? They want to fly a whirleybird somewhere remote, land, and set off a practice beacon. We will then pretend it's the real thing. Guidance calls the sherriff, CAP, etc. We stage and go. The GT I'm on is just getting formed, and has limited field experiance, so this is a great setup for a real life scenario they can use. Additionally, the Group II planes can DF the beacon, while scanning for *ghasp* a real live target! Squadron ES officers should discuss exercises like this with local FBOs. This kind of dual training gets the CAP name out there, provides a realistic environment, and develops a friendship between agencies. Tentative date is April 19th, so expect an AAR after that, if not any more updates beforehand!
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