GRAFENWOEHR, Germany -- Prior to the start of every mission, the pilot and aircrew must consider what can happen during in-flight emergencies or in the event they are shot down.
They must also consider how to get back home. Every member of the team has been trained in the skills required to survive, but very few ever put their knowledge into practice. Charlie Co., Medical Evacuation, 1/214th General Support Aviation Battalion got that chance during a recent Personnel Recovery Exercise.
"Survival equipment comes with us every time we fly a mission, but is rarely ever used. Training like this forces us to take it out and learn to use it," said Maj. James Tullis, Charlie Co. Commander, adding the training a huge success.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Matthew Boedeker and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jonathan Flores, tactical operations officers with Charlie Co., put together the PRE to hone the group's survival skill sets.
"In the eleven years I've been an aviator, I have never participated in personnel recovery training at the unit level," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Benjamin Lind.
Pilots and their crews were placed in a simulated scenario where they were shot down in unfriendly territory. They were then forced to think about survival, land navigation and communications; while evading capture.
Also joining them were Master Resiliency Trainers Performance experts, Andrew Kantor and Daren Koehler. The MRTP team helped the soldiers understand ways of dealing with this type of stressful situation.
"Our training shows them they might not have control over the terrain, the weather and what the enemy is doing, but they have control over their mindset," Koehler said.
Soldiers are experts in the tactical and technical aspects unique to this type of training, he added. However, the MRTP goal helps build mental and spiritual resilience so Soldiers and their families are better able to cope with adversity.
Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness is designed to build resilience and enhance performance of the Army Family -- Soldiers, their Families, and Army Civilians. CSF2 does this by providing hands-on training and self-development tools so that members of the Army Family are better able to cope with adversity, perform better in stressful situations, and thrive in life.
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