UDF Training led by 1st Lt Alvaro Chavez

By 1st Lt Karin Hollerbach, photos by Lt Col Juan Tinnirello

Lt Chavez

Squadron 188’s 1st Lt Alvaro Chavez led an Urban Direction Finder (UDF) workshop over the past several Tuesdays.  Training included classroom instruction on operational, planning and logistics tasks, as well as hands-on practice in the field, searching for a distress beacon.

SM Forenza, Lts Roudnev and Roberts
assembling their DF equipment

Students, for example, are evaluated on their familiarity with UDF equipment and techniques, and on their ability to put the DF equipment into operation and successfully find a practice beacon within a reasonable period of time.

SM Forenza, Lts Roudnev and Roberts, Capt Ramsey

Participants receiving new or refresher training included:

• Lt Col Juan Tinnirello
• Capt Doug Ramsey
• 2d Lt Tim Roberts
• 2d Lt Alexei Roudnev
• SM Antonio Forenza

Capt Jordan Hayes served as base Mission Radio Operator (MRO) during the training.   Among other things, this enabled participants to call in their ELT search progress on the radio, simulating true in the field conditions, where UDF teams are in radio communications with base staff.

SM Forenza, Lts Roudnev and Roberts

SM Forenza, Lts Roudnev and Roberts are ready to find ELTs!

Addendum:

Capt Ramsey reading the van for the search

On July 12, Lt Col Tinnirello and Lt Chavez hosted a final evening of hands-on UDF training, with the trainees searching for and finding a hidden training beacon.  They were given two lat-long points, which they plotted out to start their search, and then went to show off their newly acquired skills:  Lt Chavez acted as simulated Incident Commander (IC) and had the beacon hidden in his home.  When the team successfully found the beacon, they were rewarded for their efforts with real, homemade chocolate cookies - now there's incentive!  

CAP team in action!