4th FW Aircrew take to water for exercise RAZOR TALON

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Brittain Crolley
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  Their aircraft was shot down. Now floating in enemy waters, waves tossed the ejected aircrew members back and forth as enemy watercraft circled their location, drawing closer.

A 4th Fighter Wing F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft screamed overhead, quickly eliminating the hostile target. Minutes later, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter came to the rescue and pulled the vulnerable Airmen from the water.

It wasn't a typical mission for Lt. Col. Bryce Silver, 336th Fighter Squadron commander, and Capt. Jeffrey Groll, 336th FS pilot. Normally, the two are in the air for exercise RAZOR TALON. But this time, they were putting their Survival, Evade, Resistance and Escape skills to the test just outside Oriental, N.C., in the waters of the Neuse River, April 18.

For the first time since its inception as a monthly training initiative to provide a low-cost, large-force exercise for joint East Coast tactical and support aviation units, RAZOR TALON featured a downed pilot scenario to help familiarize aircrew with their water survival suit and equipment and test rescue personnel on their abilities to recover lost assets.

"It was a great opportunity to get some hands-on experience with this vital equipment," Groll said. "It also gave us a chance to rehash our training in a real-world environment instead of just going through presentation slides."

During initial training, Strike Eagle aircrew members typically go through water survival training in a pool. According to Groll, the new downed pilot operation was injected into the exercise to get out of the controlled environment of the pool and into a more pressure-filled scenario in open water.

The training mission began when Silver and Groll were dropped into the frigid Neuse River. Once in, their SERE training kicked in.

They climbed aboard their life rafts and began shoveling excess water out to keep them afloat. After releasing their packets of sea dye, a bright green agent used to mark their position, they began making radio contact to help rescue forces track their location.

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter was deployed to recover the downed aircrew. However, once in range, the helicopter was unable to get closer to them because of simulated aggressors in the area. Groll radioed in a show of force maneuver, which called for the escorting Strike Eagle to drop its altitude to 1,000 feet. The loud, intimidating tactic didn't faze the enemy, so Groll called in for the target to be eliminated.

"Having airpower like that at your disposal is comforting when you're in a situation like that where you're pinned down," he said. "You know your guys in the air have your back and aren't going to let you down."

Once the threat was eliminated, it was the U.S. Coast Guard's time to shine.

The helicopter quickly found the floating Airmen and prepared a rescue swimmer to enter the water. Hovering mere meters above the water, the swimmer repelled down to grab the Airmen. One by one, the aircrew members were hoisted to safety.

"Even though it was just training, it was a great feeling to see that Coast Guard helicopter," Groll said. "The swimmer was very confident and gave us very precise instructions on what to do. He was a professional."

The addition of the search and rescue training mission further enhances RAZOR TALON by providing a new scenario for players to practice. According to exercise developers, they hope to keep practicing the new operation and look to incorporate it quarterly.

"The combat search and rescue scenario was just another example of a training opportunity exercise RAZOR TALON provides," said Capt. Jaina Donberg, 4th Operations Support Squadron assistant officer in charge of exercise RAZOR TALON. "By incorporating our sister services and utilizing nearby overwater airspace, we provide a unique forum to train in a joint and maritime environment."

In addition to the benefits the aircrew received from the operation, the SERE professionals also profited in terms of testing their equipment and generating a scenario they don't get to practice that often. According to Staff Sgt. Justin O'Dell, 4th OSS SERE specialist, the training was beneficial to all parties involved.

"For these guys to actually experience the wind, the waves and the rotor wash from the helicopter and to also see how their gear performs was a great opportunity," O'Dell said. "It was also a chance for us to get our equipment out there and really give these guys some more in-depth training."

Overall, the training mission was a success, O'Dell said, and all assets made it out of the conflict without casualty. Most importantly, the Airmen gained valuable survival skills should they ever need to use them.