PLATTSBURGH — By STEPHEN BARTLETT
The Civil Air Patrol cadets pressed through the forest under an overcast sky.
Minimal light found its way through thick clusters of tree branches as the group searched for a downed F-16 fighter pilot.
The ground was damp beneath their feet as they moved slowly through the woods off Bradford Road in the Town of Plattsburgh, their black military boots leaving a deep trail of footprints behind them in the mud.
HANDS-ON TRAINING
"They carry tape to mark trails, survival gear and food, at least two quarts of water, signal gear and first-aid kits," said 2nd Lt. Michael Profera, listing off some of the cadets' gear for their mission. "They all get first aid and CPR training."
The cadets came from Albany, Schenectady, Freehold and Plattsburgh Civil Air Patrol squadrons this past weekend to participate in a MidEastern Group Search and Rescue Training Exercise.
The exercise — to find a "downed pilot" — also included a bivouac.
FUTURE LEADERS
The training scenario was that a pilot lost an engine and was unable to land, ejecting over the woods in the Town of Plattsburgh and dumping the aircraft in Lake Champlain.
Cadets, dressed in camouflage, entered the forest to find the pilot, working to pinpoint his location by honing in on his personal locating device, coordinates he relayed when he ejected and an electronic locating transmitter attached to the plane, which can become dislodged during a crash.
The 20 cadets also were asked to find possible ordinance, or weaponry, that had been attached to the aircraft.
"It's fun," said 2nd Lt. and Public Affairs Officer Brian Ruede. "It offers leadership training, camaraderie and some maturity and responsibility. We are grooming leaders."
DECADES OF DUTY
The Civil Air Patrol was formed one week before the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, with civilian pilots and aircraft immediately dispatched to hunt enemy submarines.
Today, with roughly 61,000 members nationwide, the nonprofit auxiliary of the Air Force has three main missions:
▶ Emergency services, such as search and rescue, disaster relief and Homeland Security missions.
▶ The Cadet program, which provides leadership and citizenship training to nearly 27,000 individuals age 12 to 21, as well as a science-based and aerospace curriculum.
▶ Aerospace education for current members and the general public.
AIR FORCE ROLE
The weekend search-and-rescue mission was funded and monitored by the Air Force. It included three ground-team leaders and a mission base at the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base Control Tower.
Cadets participated in navigation, basic search-and-rescue training, a compass course, line searches, radio use and litter carries.
"They do visual searches, and they use equipment," said Col. Sean Neal, group commander for MidEastern group.
'COLD BUT FUN'
The cadets entered the forest Friday night, tenting out in 28-degree weather.
Saturday, as one team prepared for a search to locate ordinance and another to find an electronic locating transmitter, a second lieutenant went over coordinates with cadets on a map of the area.
"I was thinking about joining the military," said James Blaise, 12, of Peru. "I enjoy the physical training of Civil Air Patrol, and one time we got to make rockets.
"I think, since I have been doing this, I find myself making more of the right choices, and I find myself wanting to help others."
Lukas Hughes enjoys the adventure of Civil Air Patrol.
"It's cold, but it's fun," said the 13-year-old from Peru.
TRACKING SIGNALS
"These kids have more training than your average volunteer firefighter," Profera said, as he walked slowly through the woods with the cadet team searching for the electronic locating transmitter.
"The signal gets stronger as you get closer," he explained to them.
The scant sunlight left began to fade as the cadets stopped every 20 to 50 feet to check the signal strength.
Eventually, the team, under the command of Capt. Susan Neal, stopped at a thick section of the forest, the signal trained on a dense area of brush just off the edge of a bend in a barely visible path.
"Use you DF," Neal instructed the cadets. "Point toward the object."
"I found it," hollered one of the cadets, chest high in broken tree limbs.
Less than two hours later, the cadets located the "injured" pilot, tucked him in a litter and brought him safely out of the forest.
