NFTF 185th Theater Aviation Brigade (TAB) Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX): Leveraging All Assets to Benefit Training

The Army’s experience in littoral areas with over the water operations in continues to grow as part of the Army’s goal to build its expeditionary capabilities. The 185th Theater Aviation Brigade (TAB) deployed to Camp BUEHRING, Kuwait in support of Operation SPARTAN SHIELD. Given the operational environment (OE) of the 185th TAB, they saw a need to develop and refine the techniques for Personnel Recovery (PR) in a maritime scenario. The TAB needed a means to practice these techniques as they developed them. They also needed an opportunity to learn and train on the survival equipment used in open water survival. The 185th TAB had conducted numerous land PR exercises in the past, and their aircrews trained extensively for ditching into a body of water. However, the brigade had not previously conducted a PR exercise in an open “blue water” environment. This SAREX was developed to test the TAB ability to conduct PR with aircrews ditching in the ocean, both with US forces and with coalition (Kuwait) forces in support.