Gainesville Composite Squadron - Civil Air Patrol - Group 2 Bivouac Nets First Find for Members

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Group 2 Bivouac Nets First Find for Members

by 2d Lt Mark Sweitzer

On the weekend of 24-26 February, 21 cadets and 11 senior members from Group 2 attended a joint ES training bivouac near Ocala. The purpose of the weekend event was to get as many people qualified in UDF (Urban Direction Finding) and GTM (Ground Team Mission) as possible. To do so would allow members to participate in missions.

The first night, though, an unexpected surprise occurred. During the training, a real mission was called in from National CAP Headquarters to the Ocala squadron commander. He then selected six persons to go on the mission. A few hours later, the team had found and silenced an ELT (emergency locater transmission). All three members of the Lake City squadron, plus a fourth from the Gainesville squadron, claimed their first "find" that night.

Furthermore, the purpose of the weekend bivouac was fulfilled. Quite a few of the cadets and seniors who attended are now qualified in UDF and/or GTM. This means that they can be called at any time of day or night to go search for an emergency locator transmitter that has been activated.

While the vast majority of ELT missions are simply shutting off one due to a low battery, a bumped aircraft or other routine event, CAP personnel are annually credited with saving more than 100 lives annually. With CAP conducting 95% of the inland search and rescue missions each year, it is not surprising that lives are saved.

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