The VAQ-137 Rooks had a unique opportunity to participate in the weeklong Search and Rescue (SAR) Exercise run by the Whidbey Island SAR team.

Four Rooks survived overnight in the woods near Sedro-Wooley to test their survival skills. Taking part were Lt. Steven Shauberger, Lt. Travis Hartman, Lt. John Wilson and Lt. Erika Digel.which was a chance to use survival gear and apply their training.

Lt. Paul Hauerstein and Lt. Rudy Herrera, COMVAQWINGPAC Aviation Physiologists at NAS Whidbey Island, escorted the Rooks to their rendezvous with the NAS Whidbey SAR members who assisted with the training near Sedro-Wooley. Upon arriving and collecting their guides, Wilson, the pilot, was taken from the group, moved to a different location and given “simulated” injuries.

The other three crewmembers were taken up the hill and individually dropped off at different locations with only an observer and the survival gear they’d be wearing in a real ejection.

After becoming familiar with new GPS-capable radios, which none of aircrew had used before, all three were able to successfully navigate to the injured pilot. Then the real fun began. Although conscious and talking, Wilson had been dressed up so that it appeared he had a badly broken leg with a protruding bone, and a horribly cut and bleeding arm.

When the initial shock of their staged training scenario wore off, the realization that this could someday actually happen took over, and it was all business.

The basic crew coordination that all aircrew are taught kicked in at this point, and all three aircrew took a part in trying to save the injured pilot’s life.

Shauberger bandaged and splinted the leg, while Hartman worked on the arm. Digel cut parachute to provide strips of material for tying the splints and lent assistance as necessary with opening first aid packages. Wilson played a convincing patient, letting out an occasional expletive at his rescuers when they twisted his leg or arm, moaning with pain.

After their patient was splinted and stable, Shauberger, Hartman and Digel set to work building a makeshift gurney on which to carry Wilson to another point for pickup.  After finding several decent large branches, they manufactured a usable transportation device with branches and pieces of parachute.

After proving the makeshift gurney worked, the exercise was terminated and Wilson was restored to perfect health. Shauberger was heard to exclaim that this “would be fine as long as the smallest person is the one who is always injured!”

Next the intrepid survivors were taken to another site that had a suitable camp area. Given nothing more than what would be in their individual survival gear and ejection seat pans, the four were told to build a camp for the night and left in the woods on their own.

With darkness rapidly approaching, Wilson and Shauberger set to work making a cozy tent out of the remaining parachute and locally produced branches.  Hartman and Digel built a fire, as it was becoming colder by the minute and as soon as the sun set, warmth and shelter were going to be a necessity.

Trying out all of their gear for the first time in a real world situation soon became a great exercise in itself. Digel was heard yelling at her magnesium fire starting block and Wilson became quickly disgruntled with the tools available for cutting firewood.

Eventually giving up on the magnesium block and using a brand new

Blastmatch Fire Starter, Digel finally got a small fire started, which Hartman quickly built upon and improved.

After making some required changes to their game plan, a roaring fire and comfortable tent shelter were erected and tried out. On his return to view their progress, Hauerstein was impressed by the work they did in two hours.

Unfortunately, Thursday morning’s helicopter rescue and hoist were cancelled due to fog, but the lessons learned the previous day were more than enough to take back to the squadron and pass along to others. Digel said, “The entire trip was worth every minute.  The things I have learned will make my chances of survival much higher if I am ever in the unfortunate position to eject and have to spend a night in the field.”

Lucky for them, those lessons were learned in training and not in a real situation. Hartman said, I now feel more comfortable using the gear available. The scenario provided some great opportunities for learning new ways to do things that I wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.”

Wilson added he was glad SAR observers gave occasional directions since some things could have been overlooked. Several strong and a few weak points were uncovered and the Rooks were able to learn a valuable lesson taught by Whidbey’s SAR experts.