Photo By Tech. Sgt. Leilani Peltz | Personnel from the 104th Fighter Wing hosted five units for the annual Crash Damaged...... read more read more
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Westfield, Mass. — Military and civilian personnel from six Air Force bases gathered at Barnes Air National Guard Base June 7-8 to conduct their annual Crash Damaged Disabled Aircraft Recovery (CDDAR) training. This event, which brought together approximately 50-60 members, marked a significant moment in providing practical, hands-on experience to military members who could one day receive a call to recover a downed aircraft.
Units from New England and the surrounding areas previously had to travel to areas such as Wisconsin for CDDAR training, but in recent years, the 104th Fighter Wing successfully established Barnes as the location in the Northeast for this essential training. Having a local area not only makes the instruction more accessible for Barnes’ own team and other nearby units but also improves the learning experience for participants.
“The ability to conduct this training closer to home and actually do the action we would otherwise be pretending to do helps hone our skills without having to travel as far,” said Master Sgt. Adam Dempsey, a CDDAR primary team chief with the 104th FW and event coordinator. “Regionally, we spread our wings a little farther and brought out other units. This is the first year Stewart and Long Island have come out to train with us.”
The first day of training consisted primarily of classroom instruction, where personnel learned about various aspects of aircraft recovery, including safety requirements, handling hazards like bloodborne pathogens and how to operate equipment.
“The training is very beneficial, and we’d like to continue coming out,” said Master Sgt. Joe Dougherty, an HH60W crew chief from the 106th Rescue Wing out of Long Island, N.Y. “This is the best way to put our training to use, in a [simulated] real-world setting, which is the biggest challenge. You’ll never touch an alert or active aircraft outside of an emergency because of the risk. The fact that we are able to put our skills into practice on an actual training aircraft is awesome.”
Day two shifted the focus from an academic environment to hands-on practical applications. Participants worked with a training aid F-15 aircraft, tail 494, which the Barnes team had brought into the woods prior to the event, built an artificial runway and operated a forklift. Providing participants with the opportunity to conduct realistic recovery operations was a highlight of the training for many and provided invaluable experience.
When on-site training initially started at Barnes in 2021, crew chiefs and maintainers used a different jet for their annual bag lift training, but limitations existed for what they could do with the aircraft.
“A few years ago we were approved to use jet 104 just for bag lifts,” said Staff Sgt. Felix Chapdelaine, a repair and recovery technician with the 104th FW. “We’d set up the bags, and we would do a simulated lift. We weren’t able to actually lift it off the ground, the training was just to ensure the equipment worked, and that’s not real training.”
For many, the training highlighted the importance of teamwork and tactical planning when approaching such high-risk operations.
“494 is providing us with unparalleled opportunities. There’s no other equivalent to what we have here or anywhere near New England,” Chapdelaine said. “We need to be able to train for different scenarios and having this jet allows us to do that.”
“This is a great opportunity,” Tech. Sgt. Emmanuel Torres Garcia, the aero repair team chief with the 439th Airlift Wing said. “You get real-life scenarios, and you work together with team chiefs and team members that you don’t already work with.”
Torres Garcia has been coming out to Barnes for four years but said the training has never been the same.
“I come out here, and I never know what to expect for the scenarios,” Torres Garcia said. “They always change it, so I can’t come in with a plan already from another year.”
“And that’s realistic,” Chapdelaine added. “Every scenario is going to be different. You won’t know what it’s like until you get there.”
The collaboration among the different bases promoted camaraderie among the participants. Units represented included the 104th FW from Barnes, Hanscom Air Force Base, the 439th Airlift Wing from Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee, Mass., the 103rd Airlift Wing from Bradley Air National Guard Base in East Granby, Conn., the 105th Airlift Wing from Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, N.Y., and the 106th Rescue Wing from Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach, N.Y.
“You have to be comfortable being with peers you don’t know,” Torres Garcia said. “It’s easy working at home where you already know the people.”
Turning CDDAR training at Barnes into a hands-on, team-oriented event has certainly set a new standard for the region. With more confidence and better skills, military members left the two-day event better armed to react appropriately to future aircraft recovery challenges. As the event concluded, the overall atmosphere was a thankful one for having the opportunity to learn and improve skills in such a realistic environment.
| Date Taken: | 06.08.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.13.2025 12:06 |
| Story ID: | 500267 |
| Location: | WESTFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, US |
| Web Views: | 61 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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