ACC to host multinational personnel recovery exercise

  • Published
  • Air Combat Command Public Affairs
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. --  Air Combat Command's annual personnel recovery, Angel Thunder 2010, is scheduled to take place April 12 through 23 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.

The personnel recovery is an Air Force service core function. Angel Thunder is designed to simulate a comprehensive government response to isolated citizens. It echoes the warrior ethos, "I will never leave a fallen comrade," and is the closest people can get to experiencing a holistic personnel recovery response without being in an actual rescue situation.

The exercise remains the world's largest personnel recovery exercise to date, integrating sister services and numerous state, national, multinational and interagency assets focused on the rescue mission and saving lives.

Personnel recovery capabilities represented include those from the Army, National Reconnaissance Office, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Justice Department, Joint Forces Command, Southern Command, Special Operations Command and other federal agencies. Multinational participants include Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Ground recovery teams will include members of the Air Force's Guardian Angel & Special Tactic teams, Army Special Forces and federal special agents. Participating military aircraft include the HH-60G, AC-130, C-130E, AH-64D, UH-1N, C-17, KC-135, HC-130P, EC-130H, E-3, E-8, A-10 and the German Tornado ECR.