Staff Sections

Main Content

NCWG Holds SAREX at RDU

Col Langley welcomes SAREX participants
1 of 4
Lt Col Jay Langley (right) welcomes participants to the SAREX while 2d Lt Mike Swanson looks on. PHOTO CREDIT: Capt Lynne T. Albert, CAP (click image to view full size)
Story Tools

CAP members train for emergency situations

9/25/2016––The North Carolina Wing of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) held a Group 2 and 3 search and rescue training exercise (SAREX) on 23-25 September 2016. The SAREX mission base was located at CAP’s facilities at the Raleigh-Durham airport (RDU.)

During the SAREX, 5 aircraft and approximately 40 CAP members from around the state participated as ground teams, air crews, and mission base teams. CAP members came from eight different NCWG units. Additional SAREX participants came from the Middle East Region and one from WY-069.  

The SAREX mission scenario was a tornado that had hit the East Coast of the United States. In response to this scenario, CAP was tasked to take photos of the damages, provide photos of the tornado’s track and to search for missing persons. The SAREX began with a mission briefing, followed by a safety briefing, weather briefing and communications briefing. The air crews and ground teams also received briefings on their specific missions. Ground teams were dispatched from both RDU and Franklin County.     

The SAREX provided excellent training for NCWG members and tested CAP’s capability and preparedness to respond to emergency services assistance situations. 

The event was hosted by the Raleigh-Wake Composite Squadron. Lt. Col. Jay Langley, Raleigh-Wake Squadron Commander, stated, “We are honored to have so many committed CAP members here today. Everyone is pulling together to make the SAREX as realistic as possible.  The NCWG will be prepared when a real emergency hits our area.”