ANGEL THUNDER participants will conduct Personnel rescue exercises using Non-conventional Assisted Recovery (NAR) techniques in Flagstaff, June 1-13.
ANGEL THUNDER is the world’s largest personnel recovery exercise hosted by Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson Ariz. It is supported by 12 nation-partners and over 3,000 personnel.
NAR is a recovery tactic used in contested environments when no U.S. military presence is available to support a rescue mission. This skillset will be trained as one of the 2-4 day missions during this year’s ANGEL THUNDER exercise.
During this timeframe, on the outskirts of Flagstaff, the local community may see rescue helicopters conducting recoveries of isolated personnel in simulated austere environments. Rescue forces will use the relationships they developed during initial planning to help facilitate the rescue training mission. Flagstaff residents might see rescue personnel walking through the streets or networking with locals, this is all part of the exercise.
The U.S. Air Force coordinated the ANGEL THUNDER NAR training missions with Flagstaff law enforcement officials, city leadership, Coconino County Commissioners, as well as businesses and non-profit agencies in the local community. Some of these, like the Salvation Army, Humane Society, and Flagstaff Family Food Center will receive volunteer help with projects while the participants are training.
The ANGEL THUNDER committee and participants would like to thank the residents of Flagstaff for their cooperation and continued support of the Air Force mission.