CSAR!'s ORIGIN
The Society of Combat Search and Rescue was formed following an impromptu debriefing of a 1968 Southeast Asia SAR mission, Streetcar 304, by its participants, at the 1998 Jolly Green Association reunion. The presentation was so well received that the Weapons School at Nellis AFB invited the briefers to present the same program again that fall at Nellis. A second SAR mission, Litter 81, was added for that first Nellis seminar. Since that modest beginning briefings have been presented annually, either at bases that have an active duty unit with combat search and rescue responsibility or at the Weapons School. A list of past events can be found here.
CSAR!'s MISSION
With the decline in hostilities of the last three decades, only a relatively few of today’s warriors have experienced a rescue effort first hand, and while training is the next best thing, the cost effective benefits of hangar flying should also be exploited. The Charter of the Society of Combat Search and Rescue reads, in part, CSAR!'s METHODS
As soon as possible after the conclusion of each effort all available SAR forces, whether participants or not, would gather for a debriefing, critique, and analysis of what went right, what went wrong, and how everything could have been done better. Unfortunately the Survivor was rarely available for these sessions and players from other bases seldom were on hand to participate so much valuable feedback was lost. The current CSAR! Seminar Presentation format emulates this After Action session with two major improvements; the Survivor leads off with his perspective on the effort and the other player’s are present to provide their insights. In this way we bring the realities of a SAR mission to the present-day Combat Search and Rescue Forces, potential Survivors and others who recognize their need to become familiar with SAR. In spite of today’s enhanced technology, which has led to added emphasis on night operations and infinitely more detailed command and control, the basics of rescue - close cooperation between Survivor, FAC, Sandy and the Jolly Green - remain constant.
CSAR!'s BOARD of DIRECTORS
The Society of Combat Search and Rescue is governed by a Board of Directors whose constituency is as representative as possible of everyone involved in Search and Rescue; a willing Survivor or two, Active Duty, Reserve and Retired, USAF and Navy and Rotary and Fixed-wing aircrews.
CSAR!'s OFFICERS
The Society of Combat Search and Rescue functions under the leadership of a President and Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Programs/Laundry/Morale Officer, Social Officer and an Excutive Legal Advisor. The Vice President succeeds the President each year; a new Vice President is elected and the other officers are elected or reaffirmed each year. Like the Board of Directors the backgrounds and current situations of the Officers are as varied as possible, and presently include Active Duty Air Force as well as Ex-AD and Retirees of several branches and job descriptions. Any member is eligible to serve.
CSAR!'s MEMBERSHIP ELEGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Membership inCSAR! is limited to those who have a continuing, deep-seated interest in Search and Rescue and the unswerving determination that our nation maintain a trained and ready force-in-being to effect the recovery of downed aircrews from any environment, in any location, at any cost.
"The purpose of this Society is to pass on historic experience..."
so that lessons learned at such great expense are not lost, but given the widest possible dissemination to aircrews who will be tasked with SAR responsibilities, and most especially to potential Survivors. It is equally essential that our developers of Doctrine, Strategists and Tacticians become familiar with these lessons learned.
(Please note the absence of any reference to age, rank, status, job history or any other factor not associated directly with SAR.)