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AUXAIR SPECIALTY MISSIONS
D5NR has developed and successfully completed several unique missions that have gained National notoriety. Additional missions are currently under review for implementation in the coming year, so stop back in the future to learn more about these new missions.
Here are a few missions that were completed the past several years:
On 19MAY2017 there was a successful practice evolution of an Auxiliary aircraft vectoring to, and visually locating an Auxiliary surface vessel in Barnegat Bay, NJ. This was the first documented mission of this type in D5NR. The purpose was to determine the feasibility of this being a practical exercise for both aircrews and boat-crews that can be conducted during scheduled patrols of vessels and aircraft. This mission type is more flexible than traditional AUXAIR Search and Rescue (SAR) exercises and allows numerous vessel/crews to participate during the period of an entire patrol season.
On 19FEB2018 there was a successful practice evolution of an Auxiliary aircraft performing a search and visual locating of a lost sportsman in a small duck boat in the back-bays off Ocean City, NJ and vectoring an Auxiliary Land Mobile Radio Facility (LMFR) Team to the location. This is the first documented mission of this type in D5NR. The purpose to determine and photo-document the practical challenges of locating camouflaged individuals and vessels in a marine environment and directing first responders to the location. The findings proved useful in targeting practical boating safety information to hunters and sportsmen and exercise the interoperability of air and ground radio teams.
On 31JUL2018 there was a successful practice evolution of an Auxiliary aircraft performing a search and visual locating of a lost hiker in the wilderness of the NJ Pine Barrens. This is the first documented mission of this type in D5NR. The purpose to determine and photo-document the practical challenges of locating a distress signal in a wilderness environment and determining location coordinates for rescue units. The findings may prove useful in targeting practical survival information to hikers, hunters and outdoors enthusiasts, and develop practical Wilderness Search and Rescue (SAR) exercises for Auxiliary Air Program personnel.
On 29MAY2019 there was a successful practice evolution of an Auxiliary aircraft performing a training exercise where an Auxiliary aircraft flight vectored towards and away from four Auxiliary Land Based Radio Units (LBRU) in three separate Division Areas: Division 21 (Central), Division 15 (Central), and two in Division 16 (Eastern). This is the first documented mission of this type in D5NR. The purpose of this operation was to determine the feasibility of this being a practical exercise for both Auxiliary aircrews and LBRUs/Telecommunication Operators (TCOs) that can be conducted during scheduled air patrols. More flexible than traditional AUX Radio Net exercises, RADIOAIR allows numerous LBRUs to participate throughout the year. Future exercises include expanding this exercise throughout the district and mapping the coverage of various LBRUs.
Exercise attributes included: (1) Determined the effectiveness of AUX Land Base Radios maintaining a radio guard for AUX and CG air assets within interior of district. (2) Exercised Inter-operability of the Auxiliary’s air and TCOs. (3) Established how AUX TCOs may augment disaster relief efforts (flooding, etc.) many Coast Guard aircraft flying in an area that may not have established or reliable rescue 21 coverage because it is far inland from the coast. (4) Offered a direct linkage through the dynamic interface of the Auxiliary’s Air and Communications realms.
