Long Island Air National Guard unit taking part in Brazilian training mission
Westhampton Beach -based 106th Rescue Wing will train with Brazilian air force during combat search and rescue exercise
Westhampton Beach, New York (08/14/2023) — The New York Air National Guard's Westhampton Beach-based 106th Rescue Wing will be deploying Airmen to Brazil for a two-week training exercise which begins on August 16 and runs until August 27.
They will be among 100 New York Air National Guardsmen who will train in Campo Grande, Brazil as part of Operation Tapio, a combat search and rescue training exercise.
This is the third year that the New York National Guard has participated in the mission as part of a State Partnership Program training relationship with Brazil's air force.
The bulk of the Airmen participating in the exercise come from the 106th Rescue Wing. The wing, which operates from F.S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base, specializes in search and rescue operations.
The 106th will be deploying two HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters and an HC-103J Combat King II search and rescue aircraft, for the training mission.
The 106th will also be sending members of the wing security forces squadron and intelligence elements to participate in the training, according to Capt. Michael Meegan, one of the exercise planners.
Airmen from the 105th Airlift Wing, based at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, will move the 106th's helicopters and some personnel to and from Brazil onboard two of the wing's C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlifters.
The 107th Attack Wing, which is based at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station in western New York and flies the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft, will deploy Airmen trained to operate these aircraft who will work with their Brazilian Air Force counterparts, Meegan said.
The 107th will also deploy Airmen who specialize in directing air strikes on ground targets to participate in the training, he said.
A specialist in recovering downed aircrew members from the New York Army National Guard's 42nd Infantry Division, which is headquartered in Troy, will conduct a virtual class for Brazilian personnel as part of the exercise, Meegan added.
The State Partnership Program pairs state National Guards with other country's militaries for joint training and exchange programs.
The program was created as a way to help Communist bloc countries learn how democratic militaries function.
New York has a State Partnership with the Republic of South Africa, and also has a bilateral training agreement with the Israeli Homefront Command.
A New York Army National Guard unit from Queensbury, New York, the 466th Medical Company (Area Support) is also conducting a State Partnership Program mission in Brazil as well. The unit sent 18 people to participate in a humanitarian training mission in Brazil's Parana State, along with 110 Soldiers from 14 other nations.
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New York Air National Guard Airmen from the 106th Rescue Wing pose for a photo with their Brazilian counterparts before heading out on a night mission during Operation Tapio training in Compo Grande, Brazil on August 26, 2022. The wing will once again take part in this annual training exercise as part of the New York National Guat State Partnership Program training exchange with Brazil. ( U.S. Air National Guard photo by Major Michael O'Hagan)
New York National Guard
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