CAMP DOUGLAS, Wis. — A public affairs team from the I.G. Brown Training and Education Center traveled to Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center, Wisconsin, July 13-15, to document the F-35 Joint Program Office Advanced Crash Damaged or Disabled Aircraft Recovery (CDDAR) Course, highlighting a mission critical to joint and coalition readiness.
Tech. Sgt. Darby Arnold, a public affairs specialist with TEC University, and Master Sgt. Regina Young, a public affairs manager, captured video and still imagery of the course. Arnold focused on video production while Young documented the training through photography.
The I.G. Brown Training and Education Center, located at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tennessee, provides education and training for Airmen across the Total Force. This assignment gave the TEC public affairs team an opportunity to increase awareness of a specialized capability seldom seen outside the aircraft recovery community.
The 2026 Advanced Crash Damaged or Disabled Aircraft Recovery (CDDAR) Course brought together instructors and students from across the joint force, allied nations and industry partners to train in realistic aircraft recovery operations. Participants worked in multinational teams, strengthening interoperability while developing the technical and communication skills needed to recover aircraft in contested and expeditionary environments.
Training scenarios conducted across Volk Field used training aircraft staged in realistic recovery conditions, requiring students to recover and relocate disabled or immobilized aircraft, conduct crane recovery operations, coordinate helicopter sling-load operations, survey and mark debris fields, and employ unmanned aircraft systems for crash site mapping. Students applied problem-solving and teamwork to execute complex recovery operations alongside joint, allied and industry partners.
“The type of training provided here is invaluable,” said Senior Master Sgt. Jordan Jensen, National Guard Bureau A4MM CDDAR deputy program manager. “We are able to simultaneously conduct multiple training scenarios in one controlled area with multiple teams operating in a joint environment. This builds confidence and fosters relationships that are essential to mission success.”
Most course participants represented aircraft maintenance and fire emergency services specialties. While those Airmen perform essential duties at their home stations, the Advanced CDDAR Course demonstrated how those same skill sets are applied in expeditionary and contingency environments to recover aircraft, safeguard sensitive equipment and return critical assets to the fight.
Although the course is highly specialized, its mission has broad implications. Every recovery operation requires coordination among multiple services, specialties and international partners, making strategic communication an important part of preserving lessons learned and increasing awareness of the capabilities developed during the training.
Documenting the course allowed the TEC public affairs team to capture the technical expertise, interoperability and teamwork required to execute large-scale aircraft recovery operations. Their imagery and video will help tell the story of a unique capability that supports combat readiness and strengthens partnerships among U.S., allied and industry partners.
For more information about the Advanced CDDAR Course and future training opportunities, contact Senior Master Sgt. Jordan Jensen at [Jordan.jensen@us.af.mil](mailto:Jordan.jensen@us.af.mil "mailto:Jordan.jensen@us.af.mil") or Master Sgt. Adam Olena at [Adam.olena.2@us.af.mil](mailto:Adam.olena.2@us.af.mil "mailto:Adam.olena.2@us.af.mil").