The 347th Operations Support Squadron at Moody Air Force Base partnered with US Coast Guard Station Mayport, Florida, Nov. 17, for a simulated water rescue of a downed pilot during exercise Mosaic Tiger 24-1.

Bad weather off the coast of Jacksonville and Saint Johns River stopped the actual exercise rescue from happening, but the relationship built during the planning process will help future joint operations between the two services.

“As we train, we can’t be singular in our approach,” said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Michael Mendes, 347th OSS group weapons and tactics load master.

“We have to work together to seamlessly merge, and since our HH-60Ws [Jolly Green II] don’t get maritime training as often, it was a valuable experience for our Airmen to integrate with another branch. Training with the Coast Guard allowed us to test and improve our proficiency in how we communicate and respond to maritime rescues.”

Rescue exercise

Moody AFB rescue Airmen used the Mosaic Tiger readiness exercise as a way to get ready for future real-world deployment cycles. During the week, they worked with three different Coast Guard Stations: Mayport, St. Petersburg and Cape Canaveral each provided safety boats, simulated hoist operations and the personnel in the water.

According to the Air Force guide titled The Joint Team, or the Purple Book, joint integration requires effective coordination among the military branches. The guide outlines how US forces are required by national command authorities to respond on short notice to unpredictable crises in a joint force capacity.

Despite weather interference, the Air Force and Coast Guard were able to train for that purpose.
Subscribe to the FINN weekly newsletter

You may also be interested in:

FAA partners with US Air Force on AAM integration