Navy CSAR det gets rescue

[Recovering LSO]

At time 1:11 there were boots on the ground.... Just sayin'....

 

[nittany03]

At time 1:11 there were boots on the ground.... Just sayin'....

Yes, but more importantly, were they Red Wings or Bellevilles? Can't be too safe, you know . . .

 

[hscs]

Isn't the point here a good story and datapoint to the endless "We never do that, it's stupid" vs "Of course we'll never do it if we're never given the chance" crowds? Sure, not the craziest mission, but still.

Good on these guys for being on the watch when they were needed.

Yes - agree - but not much has changed since the last time we had to do something like this (2001).

I will go so far as to say we have given up more in the mission area by stopping Desert Rescue exercise series, cutting our only two truly expeditionary squadrons, and being too liberal with our mission quals.

More important - we have to do something to convince Big Navy that we can do this - that is the discussion that must be had.

 

[zippy]

To add another wildcard to this incident and any future one involving a similar type is the crew of the King Air (MC-12?) are SAIC (or something like that) civilian contractors, some prior, some not. With minimal training.

Depends what your definition of minimal training is... It's true the training program is designed to take a pilot with zero military time and get them to able fly ISR circles and employ the systems onboard. There's not much voodo Magic involved in doing that.

I'll defer to the AWers who've worked for the company in question to comment with their own thoughts, but I will say that a lack of PRF in that area was the driving factor in my not pursuing that specific group of job openings.

It will be interesting to see how a survivable forced landing changes the way crews and the companies approach their gear lists.

 

[ChuckMK23]

Angel Thunder 2015 had a good deal of Navy assets participate - in exactly these kind of scenarios. HSC-8 was reported by AF PAO articles to have made a "good showing" in Desert CSAR exercises.

 

[wlawr005]

Not just the O4s and O5s are out there flying.

Bullshit. JOPA dash 2 never goes around in "combat".

JOPA always sticks the landing. Always.

 

[Python]

Yes - agree - but not much has changed since the last time we had to do something like this (2001).

I will go so far as to say we have given up more in the mission area by stopping Desert Rescue exercise series, cutting our only two truly expeditionary squadrons, and being too liberal with our mission quals.

More important - we have to do something to convince Big Navy that we can do this - that is the discussion that must be had.

I'm not too well-versed with CSAR history, but the last two missions were in 2016 and 2001? Two over 15 years?

 

[hscs]

^talking about detachments in not necessarily US secured areas that had to come off of a boat.

Individual missions post Vietnam have not been very plentiful.

 

[jtmedli]

I'm not too well-versed with CSAR history, but the last two missions were in 2016 and 2001? Two over 15 years?

SAR in general isn't something that happens every day. It's a contingency mission and a given helo squadron might only get a SAR once every few years (or more). Not to mention CSAR.

 

[zippy]

^talking about detachments in not necessarily US secured areas that had to come off of a boat.

Individual missions post Vietnam have not been very plentiful.

Isn't that because other services have better/closer assets in theater in most cases since then?

 

[Python]

SAR in general isn't something that happens every day. It's a contingency mission and a given helo squadron might only get a SAR once every few years (or more). Not to mention CSAR.

That's true, but that's Navy CSAR. I was under the impression that non Navy squadrons did this kind of stuff much more frequently. As in this stuff happens, but the navy doesn't do it, except twice in the past 15 years? Is that wrong?

 

[jtmedli]

That's true, but that's Navy CSAR. I was under the impression that non Navy squadrons did this kind of stuff much more frequently. As in this stuff happens, but the navy doesn't do it, except twice in the past 15 years? Is that wrong?

I don't know about 'more frequently' but other services have the convenience of having entire helo squadrons more or less dedicated to CSAR. That's not something we can get away with in the Navy. Not to mention that our primary focus is supposed to be overwater (according to the admirals).

 

[hscs]

I don't know about 'more frequently' but other services have the convenience of having entire helo squadrons more or less dedicated to CSAR. That's not something we can get away with in the Navy. Not to mention that our primary focus is supposed to be overwater (according to the admirals).

Only one service has dedicated PR units (Air Force).

 

[ChuckMK23]

I don't know about 'more frequently' but other services have the convenience of having entire helo squadrons more or less dedicated to CSAR. That's not something we can get away with in the Navy. Not to mention that our primary focus is supposed to be overwater (according to the admirals).

Perhaps the message to the Flags is - change the primary focus of Navy helicopter resources (match Royal Navy approach)

 

[insanebikerboy]

HSC-5 got a PR event. Not a CSAR event, there is a difference. After seeing behind the curtain, this, in my opinion, does not validate Navy CSAR. The guys out there got to fly and pick some dudes up, which is good, but there were some serious process flaws, which was bad. That's about all that can be put out on NIPR.