The New Jersey Wing’s Ground Search and Rescue School resumed training in early October after a long wait resulting from pandemic-related shutdowns, with 14 participants from nine squadrons completing the necessary qualifications for Ground Team Member 3.
The two adult members and 12 cadets honed their skills in navigation, tracking, and compass use during the two-day course at McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Joint Base.
The first day began with classroom sessions featuring lectures and PowerPoint presentations. The participants also watched demonstrations of tasks they would be taking on, such as securing an individual onto a backboard and navigating with a compass.
The second day consisted of hands-on training. Tracking a personal locator beacon quickly escalated into a search for a simulated missing hiker found unconscious in the woods.
The students applied the previous day’s classroom lessons in employing direction-finding techniques and compass navigation and securing and transporting the individual through challenging terrain.
Both ground teams completed the exercise within an hour.
Serving as staff were:
Lt. Col. Robert E. Jennings, wing search and rescue officer and communications officer
Capt. Britton Williams, wing director of emergency services
1st Lt Charles N. Rehkopf, Group 225 and Air Victory Museum Composite Squadron emergency services officer
Cadet Lt. Col. Caroline Dozier of the Air Victory Museum Composite Squadron, cadet commander for the school
Cadet Lt. Col. Alexander Hawkins, Maj. Thomas B. McGuire Jr. Composite Squadron
Cadet Lt. Col. Nathaniel Hawkins, Maj. Thomas B. McGuire Jr. Composite Squadron
Cadet Capt. Erin Feeney, Curtiss-Wright Composite Squadron
The students were:
Air Victory Museum Composite Cadet Master Sgt. Micah Blum
Atlantic County Composite Squadron Cadet Tech. Sgt. Samantha Contino
Capt. Bud Jackson Composite SquadronCadet 2nd Lt. Darsh Shah
Capt. Jimmy Steward Composite Squadron Cadet Capt. Emma Rollins Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Michael Gaetano
Curtiss-Wright Composite SquadronCadet 1st Lt. Michael Shayevich
Gloucester County Composite SquadronAnthony Siravo
Raritan Valley Composite Squadron Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Aditi Sail
Twin Pine Composite SquadronCadet Staff Sgt. Isabella LancellottiCadet Staff Sgt. Anirudh WoodCadet Senior Airman Divjot Kaur Cadet Senior Airman Jasleen KaurCadet Senior Airman Logan Lancellotti
Highlanders Cadet Flight2nd Lt. Marie Hall_____Cadet Staff Sgt. Isabella LancellottiTwin Pine Composite SquadronNew Jersey Wing
