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Long Island-Air National Guardsmen are participating in Brazilian air combat exercise

80 Airmen from the 106th Rescue Wing are part of Exercise Tapio, an annual Brazilian tactical air exercise

Campo Grande, Brazil (08/26/2022) — Eighty Airmen assigned to Long Island's 106th Rescue Wing of the New York Air National Guard are in Brazil participating in a tactical exercise with their Brazilian Air Force counterparts which runs through August 31.

Exercise Tapio is an annual Brazilian Air Force-hosted close air support and combat search and rescue exercise that involves 1,100 Brazilian personnel and aircraft from many different Brazilian units.

The American component, led by Col. Jeff Cannet, the 106th Operations Group commander, includes 100 personnel, one HC-130J Combat King II search and rescue aircraft, three HH-60 Pave Hawk search and rescue helicopters, and two C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft.

The 106th Rescue Wing is based at Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach.

The three helicopters were flown to Campo Grande in Brazil's Mato Grosso do Sul state, on board the two C-17 Globemaster III aircraft flown by 14 members of the New York Air National Guard's 105th Airlift Wing. The wing is based at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh in the Hudson Valley.

Personnel from the New York Air National Guard's 274th Air Support Operations Squadron, who specialize on calling in airstrikes, and the 107th Attack Wing, which flies the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft, are also participating in the mission.

A small number of Airmen from the Oregon and Maryland Air National Guards - special operations Airmen, and A-10 pilots, respectively -are also involved.

"These U.S. Air Force personnel will conduct combat search and rescue and close air support operations alongside Brazilian forces to grow our collective ability to meet complex global challenges, counter threats and maintain regional security and stability," according to a statement from United States Southern Command.

This is the second year that the New York Air National Guard has participated in Exercise Tapio. In 2021, 80 personnel and two HH-60s took part in the exercise.

The exercise that year simulated war scenarios, to include helicopter infiltration and extrication, rescues which required a rope to access the patient, separated survivor scenarios, and an urban operation with a vehicle extrication and mass casualty event.

This year's exercise has added aerial refueling of the HH-60s by the HC-130J Combat King aircraft into the mix.

"It's great to be taking part in Exercise TAPIO again with a larger team than ever before," Cannet said.

"The friendships and professional development have grown behind the scenes over the past year and seeing all that come together during this exercise has been rewarding. We look forward to growing this strong partnership for years to come," Cannet added.

The New York Air National Guard was invited to participate because of the State Partnership Program the New York National Guard shares with Brazil's military. New York National Guard personnel and units take part in joint training and exchanges with their Brazilian counterparts to further interoperability between the U.S. military and Brazil's.

Recent interactions involved a visit by members of the New York Air National Guard's 222nd Command and Control Squadron, which is a space operations unit, with their Brazilian counterparts. Brazilian leaders have also visited New York and observed security operations in New York City.

The State Partnership Program was created following the end of the Cold War and paired state National Guard's with former Soviet Bloc nation's militaries. The goal was to model the ways that democratic military force's function.

Since then, the program has expanded. New York has a partnership arrangement with the South African National Defence Force as well as Brazil.

Media Attachments

New York Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Patrick Williamson, left,from Bayport, New York, and Senior Airmen Bailey Sullivan a resident of Nesconset, New York, special mission aviators assigned to the 106th Rescue Wing prepare for an HH-60 Pave Hawk mission while participating in Exercise Tapio on Aug. 22, 2022. The New York Air National Guard has a State Partnership Program relationship with Brazil. This is the second year the 106th Rescue Wing, based at Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach, New York has participated in the annual exercise. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Michael O'Hagan)

New York Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Rafie Baez, a Bronx resident, assigned to the 106th Rescue Wing prepares the tail rotor of one of the wing’s HH-60 Pave Hawk rescue helicopters for operations at Campo Grande, Brazil on Aug. 21, 2022. The aircraft was shipped to Brazil on board a C-17 flown by the New York Air National Guard’s 105th Airlift Wing to participate in Exercise Tapio, a combined Brazilian-U.S. irregular warfare exercise. The New York Air National Guard dispatched 100 Airmen from the two wings to participate as part of the State Partnership Program relationship with Brazil. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Michael O’Hagan)

Senior Airman Matt Pluhoeski, right, a pararescue Airman assigned to the 103rd Rescue Squadron of the New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing, works with a Brazilian counterpart, on a simulated casualty on board one of the wing’s HC-130J Combat King II search and rescue aircraft during a medical evacuation mission being conducted as part of Exercise Tapio, a joint Brazilian-U.S. training exercise, in Campo Grande, Brazil on Aug. 24, 2022. The New York Air National Guard sent 100 personnel to participate in the exercise as part of the New York National Guard State Partnership Program relationship with Brazil. The 106th Rescue Wing is based at Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Michael O’Hagan)

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