Texas Wing Members Devote Weekend to Training

Tents were pitched, radios crackled, and members from seven Texas Wing squadrons hit the ground running as the Bell County Composite Squadron kicked off its 2025 Spring Bivouac and Search and Rescue Exercise, a three-day session featuring practical training, leadership challenges, and campfire camaraderie.

The exercise, held April 11-13 at Camp Tahuaya’s Red Yucca Campsite, offered a wide range of emergency services activities designed to prepare participants for real-world missions. Training for the approximately 31 cadets and 10 adult members focused on ground team roles, small Unmanned Aerial System operation, emergency radio communications.

“Bivouacs are a great opportunity to build emergency services skills,” said 2nd Lt Andrea Forte, the Bell County squadron’s officer for communications and for emergency services, who helped plan and coordinate the training.

“These are skills for cadets and (adult) members alike, which strengthens our organizational commitment to peacetime missions. We want to help our communities be resilient,” Forte said.

 “We live here, so why not train to assist in the midst of chaos?”

In addition to the training, Capt. Brandon Parker said, “the down time was awesome, as it was a time for us all to get to know each other, relax, and fellowship.” Parker, the Texas Wing’s director of communications, led the Mission Radio Operator class.

Maj. Rafael Paiva, operations officer for Texas Wing Group IV, flew to the training site in his own aircraft to instruct and certify five members in sUAS operations.

Aerospace education sessions featured astronomy-themed science, technology, engineering, and mathematics kits, along with a special meteorology presentation by the U.S. Air Force’s 3rd Combat Weather Squadron.

For cadets, bivouac organizers presented physical fitness challenges and leadership development training.

Second Lt. Samuel Caspers received training that allowed him to qualify as an sUAS Recreational Pilot, earn his sUAS Pilot Badge, and gain flight experience on the rotary-wing Skydio 2+ system, which he hadn’t operated before. Caspers is the Texas Wing’s historian.

Cadet Senior Airman Emiliano Cox of the Bell County squadron pronounced the weekend of training “a blast!”

“The hands-on training really made all the difference,” Cox said, adding that “the real-life scenarios make it more interesting.” He particularly valued the Mission Radio Operator course.

First Lt. Nikki Sligerm, the Bell County squadron’s deputy commander for cadets, led the activity.

Along with the Bell County squadron, participants came from the:

____Kadie HinckPublic Affairs OfficerBell County Composite SquadronTexas Wing