32 Proceedings Fall 2025 T here are still three people missing as two Coast Guard rescue swimmers, two Air Force parares- cuemen, and four civilian search and rescue per- sonnel plunge into the forests of Alaska. Thirty-seven people have already been accounted for, triaged, and myriad medical conditions are being assessed and treated by medical personnel. Evacuations are underway with the two Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopters, an Air Force HH-60 Pave Hawk, and a boat from a Coast Guard fast response cutter holding offshore. The Pave Hawk has been tasked with flying the network of log- ging roads looking for survivors. Fortunately, the three missing people are role players in the large-scale search and rescue exercise (SAREX) that Coast Guard Air Station Sitka holds annually. Every spring, search and rescue (SAR) crews from the Pacific Northwest and Alaska travel to Air Station Sitka in Southeast Alaska. The annual event brings together SAR partners from the Canadian Air Force, the U.S. Air Force, aircraft from other Coast Guard air stations, as well as numerous Coast Guard cutters, boat operators, and local volunteer SAR teams. SAREX has ebbed and flowed in size and participation but has been gaining momentum over the past few years. Hosting SAREX has proven to be a rewarding experience for the unit, has strengthened partnerships, and improved interoperabil- ity with SAR partners throughout Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. Tactics, Techniques, and Opportunities As with any joint training exercise, bringing together multiple entities and individuals with similar mission statements and similar goals can greatly increase col- laboration, information sharing, and ingenuity. “Why do they do it that way?” or “Could that work for us?” are questions often asked by professionals pursuing perfec- tion. Conversely, watching another organization struggle through a scenario can improve confidence in your own training, techniques, and operating procedures. A truly standardized operating procedure, equip- ment list, and doctrine are hallmarks of a professional SAR service and one that the Coast Guard prides itself on. Every crew position on a Coast Guard aircraft has an annual standardization pass/fail check, every air station has an annual standardization visit, and every pilot travels to an annual proficiency course conducted in a multimillion-dollar simulator. With this level of standardization, it could be easy for an organization to become set in its ways and stagnate in its techniques. However, not all situations can be covered by policy and procedures. Experience is one of the most valuable assets a SAR crew can have on its side during a mission and can vary greatly based on prior assignments, geography, time in service, and sometimes just plain luck. A joint training exercise is a phenomenal venue for sharing experiences. Though a Coast Guard crew has a standardized checklist and procedure for offsite landings, watching an Air Force Pave Hawk crew chief throw pine branches onto a glacier before landing demonstrated an easy, effec- tive method to overcome the challenging lack of depth perception needed to safely conduct a glacier or snow- field landing. Having a boat available to hoist with and a Coast Guard instructor pilot led to an Air Force Combat Search and Rescue crew learning valuable techniques for hoisting to a boat that was dead in the water. This sce- nario is particularly challenging due to the helicopter’s downwash causing the vessel to shift. In another scenario, the local municipal volunteer SAR team was flown to an alpine zone and deployed to find a buried avalanche beacon. Crews learned the impor- tance of snow stability and safe responder deployment areas. Of course, the gear cannot be forgotten. While the pilots compared aircraft performance and capabilities, the ground crews assessed everything from carabiners to jackets and snowshoes. During the exchange lessons Search and Rescue Training in Southeast Alaska The benefits of partnering in training by lCdR JaRed CaRbaJal MH-60 pilot Air Station Sitka U.S. Coast Guard Challenges
