CAPNYNEWS ONLINE

By: Public Affairs MIO team which consisted of Captain Jim Ridley IO, Major Kevin Barry Ast. IO and Captain Susan Hartmann PAO and IO Trainee

HOLBROOK, NY, - September 6, 2008. Civil Air Patrol (CAP) in conjunction with the US Air Force conducted a state-wide evaluation beginning Sept. 2^nd out of CAPs Long Island Group Headquarters at Islip's MacArthur Airport. This evaluation called Guided Training Exercise (GTE) simulated homeland security, search and rescue and disaster relief missions that are critical for proper response to natural or man-made disasters in New York State or across America.

In addition to the exercise missions, CAP aircrews took aerial photographs of Fire Island beaches in anticipation of possible beach erosion due to Tropical Storm Hanna. Those photographs will be compared to photographs that will be taken in the next few days to see the extent of any changes in the shoreline.

Practice searches were conducted from the air and on the ground and included air-to-ground communications, ground-to-ground communications, flight planning and ground team operations. The intent of the training exercise is to ensure that New York Wing CAP personnel are qualified and proficient in the event of an actual disaster. Exercise sorties involved searches for a missing helicopter, a missing Cessna aircraft, a lost park ranger, and a missing and injured equestrian. Ground teams and Aircrews were utilized in the searches over the course of the 4-day exercise.

Overall, the exercise was a huge success. Thirteen different sorties were conducted this week. Incident Commander Lt. Col. Jack Ozer-CAP stated, "This was a training exercise that showed the capabilities and high degree of professionalism of CAP members and the result of this exercise will help make us more effective in the future." The Air Forces evaluation team leader, Lt. Col. Steve Weber commented that "it's always great to see so many CAP personnel come out to play", in all 82 CAP members participated in this exercise, 98% of them from the Long Island Group. Weber said that "this was a good exercise, excellent performance" and that the "members demonstrated great enthusiasm and attitude."

NYW NEWS ONLINE