USAF Guided Mission

By Lt Col Paul Hertel and 1st Lt Jeff Gustafson

The USAF guided mission started off with several scenarios coming together at once including an actual search! Major Eric Templeton was the Incident Commander. The practice mission started with an overdue aircraft which was flying from Springfield, Illinois, to Watseka, Illinois, Friday afternoon, as well as for two additional Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs) in Central Illinois.

Ground search crews have been concentrating their efforts along the expected flight path of the overdue aircraft. Additional ground crews were also searching for the two ELTs near Jacksonville and Bloomington. Several air search crews were ready and awaiting deployment, but due to low cloud ceilings and high, gusty winds, no aircrews had been launched at this time

The call came for an actual ELT in the Effingham area. Ground teams were dispatched. The ELT was found in an aircraft. The aircraft was being transported on a flat bed trailer in Effingham.   

    

       

Great input was provided to the IC Staff by the Air Force. The USAF Team members were Lt Col Brian Zelenas, Illinois CAPRAP, Maj Jeff Waugh, GLLR Director of Training, TSgt Steven Jonas, Michigan CAPRAP, Mike Moran, Indiana State Director, and Mike Archer, Wisconsin State Director.

   

   

There was television news coverage of the Illinois Wing's Guided Training Exercise which occurred over the weekend from the NBC and ABC affiliates.  They aired our story at 5:00, 10:00, and WICS ran it again on their morning show today.

 

Photos by Lt Col Ted Lohr and Capt Bob Becker.