FSS personnel participate in Search & Recovery training

  • Published
  • By Christin Michaud
  • Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  More than a dozen Force Support Squadron personnel participated in Search and Recovery training here last week.

The two-part training was designed to educate and give practical experience to personnel who are assigned to the 436th FSS who could be called upon to be part of an S&R team in the event of an incident here.

The classroom training, led by Maj. Cory Larsen, an IMA to the 436th FSS commander, was an overview of the S&R process and procedures.

Major Larsen is the Chief of Operations Support at the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations as a civilian and was recently part of the S&R team for the C-17 mishap in Alaska.

He wanted the trainees to know that each site and environment is different.

"Don't expect to be an expert," Major Larsen emphasized.

Teams line up in a horizontal line, arms length apart and begin the search slowly, step-by-step in a grid pattern to ensure a maximum recovery effort. When someone in the line finds something, the entire line stops while it is tagged, plotted using GPS, photographed and logged.

Anything out of order is grounds for stopping the line.

"When in doubt, raise your hand," stressed Tim Nicholson, AFMAO Entitlements Branch Chief, who was acting as team lead during a portion of the practical exercise.

The determination to whether or not something is relevant in the search should be left up to the team lead, and the on-scene medical examiner, so it is better to err on the side of caution so nothing is missed.

"It's an arduous process looking for someone's loved one," said Major Larsen. "You want to make sure you are doing your due diligence."

Although the training was simulated, the training gave the students an idea of what to expect if they are tasked to be part of an S&R team.

The training was the third of its kind for Senior Airman Yanet Rouillard, a services food specialist at the Patterson Dining Facility. She said this training was more realistic than the others she participated in.

"This training actually took longer and was more detailed I felt like I learned more, said Airman Rouillard.

"Not many people do what we do and we should take pride in it," she added. "What we do is going to help others who have lost a loved one."

Knowing that helps gives her the strength and mental capacity if she is ever faced with being on an S&R team.

"We always hope we never have to use the training we have given today," said Major Larsen.