445th flyers escape Ohio for evasion, survival training

  • Published
  • By Capt. Rodney McNany
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  The pitch, dark morning was punctuated by flashes of lightning and at times torrential rain. Such was the greeting for 445th Airlift Wing personnel on their first morning of training in Key West, Fla. With six months of preparation and valuable training on the line, Hurricane Paula relented allowing the 445th Operational Support Squadron reservists to survive in and on the water.

Members of the 89th Airlift Squadron, 445th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron and OSS took part in the tri-annual training requirement as part of their annual tour obligation Oct. 13 - 15.
A 25-man life raft served as the classroom for the water portion of the training. The floating venue provided the OSS survival instructors an excellent platform for teaching a wide variety of signaling devices from mirrors and strobe lights to radios.

"On the water you may need to survive on limited resources so instructors spent a lot of time on the water discussing those things. While they were on the water I was on shore demonstrating other signaling devices like the MK-13 day (smoke) and night flair and the pin flair which is also known as a gyro jet. Everybody got to fire one off and by doing that in a controlled situation hopefully it takes out some of the intimidation and fear if they ever had to do it for real," said Tech. Sgt. Maurice Upshaw, OSS survival instructor.

Though Hurricane Paula was downgraded to a tropical storm, the choppy water, high winds and constant rain added to the realism of the hands on familiarization training. And that is the very reason they come to Key West for the training.

"Until 2009 this training was satisfied at Bass Lake (Wright-Patterson Air Force Base).  And while we didn't have to travel far, it didn't really provide the realism that an ocean ditching would be like. Here in Key West, we have the elements like salt water and great support from the Navy with boats and helicopters for basket hoists," said Lt. Col. Dave Deluca, the assistant operations officer and former training officer for the 89th AS.

Along with the authenticity of the tropical storm came the operational limits for the training and while the storm did not curtail the training exercise it did mean some last minute changes. "Unfortunately, the helicopter mission had to be scrubbed," said Lt. Col. Philip Pierce, 89th AS operations officer. He went on to say, "The helicopter basket lift is a highlight for our folks as there is nothing like the sensation of actually climbing into the basket and being hoisted up and back down in a rescue basket from open water."

Colonel Deluca stated ,"What we're able to do here is put together a comprehensive training exercise that allows for not only water survival but combat survival and continuation training in a realistic environment. "

The realism continued off the water with several hundred acres of wooded terrain. The Airmen were able to hone and refresh their skill in compass and map reading as well as trying to be stealthy. The OSS team took advantage of the large rugged property by putting together an assisted evasion scenario. "The assisted evasion is one where you meet a "friendly" at a designated point and time. You can't arrive too early or be too late and of course you have to continue to circum navigate around the enemy," explained Colonel Deluca.

Senior Airman Eric Ruth, a member of the OSS played the part of aggressor, and it was his job to make the inhospitable land even more hostile.

"I won't lie, it's thick in there, and the first day it was dark and wet too. Sometimes we would make noise on purpose so the evaders would know where we were and try to work their way around us. When they were sloppy, we would set ambushes to help them understand they always have to be vigilant, " Airman Ruth said.

The second day of training broke with plenty of sunshine and mild temperatures allowing the woods to dry out a little. And for Colonel Deluca who walked around all the first day in a drenched flight suit, the second day couldn't have been any better...unless of course you are a Yankee's fan.

"Getting 70 aircrew members signed off and current over a three-day period is phenomenal," Colonel Deluca said. "This was a successful TDY by anybody's standard."