The world’s largest combat search and rescue exercise has a new planning committee. The Air Force on June 24 activated Det. 1 of the 414th Combat Training Squadron at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., which will be responsible for planning exercise Angel Thunder—the world’s largest combat search and rescue exercise. The exercise includes Air Force pararescumen and survival, evasion, resistance, and escape specialists, along with joint, multinational, and interagency partners focusing on real world and simulated scenarios. “They can walk away after being exposed to highly dynamic and challenging scenarios and learning those lessons so they don’t have to learn them in combat,” Maj. James Humphrey, director of operations for the new detachment, said in an Air Combat Command release.
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
