Airmen from the 38th, 41st and 71st Rescue Squadrons trained alongside local, state and federal partners during the 2026 Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX) in San Antonio, Texas, May 18-21, 2026, strengthening interoperability and disaster response readiness.

The annual exercise brought together aviation and rescue organizations from across the country to operate in shared airspace, improve communications and build relationships before real-world emergencies.

“One of the biggest rewards from participating in SAREX is the relationships that are formed during the exercise,” said Brett Dixon, assistant chief of Texas A&M Task Force 1 and SAREX director. “There is no substitute for knowing exactly who to call when time is of the essence and lives are on the line.”

Dixon said the exercise challenges agencies to overcome one of the most persistent obstacles in disaster response. Federal agencies may have different terms or operating procedures for the same thing, and translating the acronym soup can cause confusion and eat away precious time when it matters most.

“Communications is always one of the biggest challenges that we have to overcome,” Dixon said. “All of these aircraft come from different agencies, they have different radios… We force that during SAREX so that it becomes easier when the real event happens.”

For the 41st RQS, the exercise provided an opportunity to integrate combat search and rescue capabilities into a domestic disaster environment.

“The 41st Rescue Squadron, operating the HH-60W, brings a unique capability to the Defense Support of Civil Authorities realm,” said Capt. Benjamin Stallmann, 41st RQSHH-60W instructor pilot. “When state and local responders are overwhelmed, we can provide night search and recovery operations and austere environment capability.”

Stallmann said working in dense, multi-agency airspace strengthened crew proficiency and adaptability.

“We play a pick-up game for a living,” Stallmann said. “Experience like this affords us the opportunity to add tools to our toolbox.”

Pararescuemen from the 38th RQS also trained in complex rescue and medical scenarios, including hoist operations and patient care aboard aircraft.

“During civilian search and rescue exercises, we primarily provide paramedic-level care and support for any kind of patient,” said Senior Airman Samuel Chicas, 38th RQS pararescueman. “We also bring confined space, vehicle extrication, water operations and hoist capability in all environments.”

Chicas said realistic, multi-agency training helps reduce friction during real-world disasters.

“Working with other agencies allows us to identify and eliminate unnecessary hiccups,” Chicas said. “It also helps us see how civilian agencies handle disaster relief and how we can tailor our capabilities to support them.”

He added that the exercise improves both interoperability and preparedness.

“It leaves us in a good position if we were needed to respond to a local disaster,” he said.

SAREX 2026 strengthened the relationships, communication networks and interoperability required to respond to large-scale disasters, ensuring military and civilian rescue agencies can work seamlessly together when lives are on the line.