Moody Air Force Base, GA. -- MOODY AFB, Ga. – Servicemembers from the 23rd Wing and Marine aviation units held a joint combat search and rescue task force (CSARTF) exercise on Aug. 7, 2025, at Moody Air Force Base’s new Kight Training Range.
The Kight Training Range opened in the first week of August and offers significant advantages for 23rd Wg aircraft and Guardian Angel assets by providing a readily available local training option. The Range alleviates the strain on the heavily utilized Grand Bay Range and eliminates scheduling delays.
“Establishing a new landing zone (LZ) or drop zone (DZ) cannot be undervalued,” said Air Force Master Sgt. Alex Pike, 347th Operations Support Squadron flight chief of weapons and tactics and pararescueman. “New LZs or helicopter landing zones (HLZ) provide the Wing’s aircraft and crews the opportunity to experience mission variety when conducting training in the local area.”
The Kight Training Range includes a HLZ and a DZ and is projected to also operate as a Military Operations in Urbanized Terrain and Close Quarters Combat training site. Spanning roughly 137 acres and located 30 miles from Moody AFB, the range features a compact drop zone that Pike said forces Guardian Angel jump teams to refine their precision during high-altitude, low-opening (HALO) and high-altitude, high-opening (HAHO) operations by calculating varied release points for accurate landings. In contrast, its expansive landing zone is large enough to accommodate multiple helicopters simultaneously and support complex ground operations.
“The HLZ allows helicopters with larger rotor diameters to conduct simultaneous air landings, plus we get the added benefit of being able to present a larger enemy force presentation or medical scenario in the zone,” said Air Force Maj. Terry Tilghman, 347th OSS group chief of weapons and tactics and HH-60W evaluator pilot. “This allows for more realistic training opportunities more frequently and without having to take iron off-station.”
The exercise included various weapon systems, such as the A-10C Thunderbolt II, HH-60W Jolly Green II, HC-130J Combat King II, and Guardian Angel, as well as Marine assets composed of the CH-53E Super Stallion, AH-1Z Viper, and UH-1Y Venom. A scenario simulated downed aircraft and mass casualty incident response for eight injured service members. The rescue required effort precision recovery operations, triage and evacuation in a contested and time-sensitive environment that showcased teamwork and dedication through multiple services.
“In this training, we were able to combine the traditional model into a joint effort,” said Tilghman. “We were able to bring HMLA-269 and HMH-464 into the Air Force planning cycle, so from start to finish, all Mission Design Series on Moody were able to teach and learn personnel recovery tactics, techniques, and procedures with joint partners.”
Seamless rescue operations between the services are a key component to being combat ready for the fight of tomorrow. Complex and ambiguous environments offer little time for joint practice.
“In a real-world rescue, you don’t have the luxury of time or a perfect situation—everyone has to bring their unique skills to the table and operate as one,” said Navy Lt. Mathew Marsee, HMH-464 aeromedical officer. “Joint interoperability ensures that whether it’s Marines, Air Force, or any other branch, we can plug into each other’s systems, trust each other’s training, and execute without hesitation. That can be the difference between saving lives or losing them.”
The principles Marsee describes continue the long-standing tradition that began with Brig. Gen. Richard T. Kight, commander of the U.S. Air Rescue Service from 1946 to 1952 and widely recognized as the father of Air Force search and rescue. Within the Kight Training Range, Rosenberg HLZ is named after retired Air Force Master Sgt. John Rosenberg, a former aerial gunner whose hard work and dedication of over four years led to the creation of the training range. Their legacies exemplified by Kight’s motto, ‘These Things We Do, That Others May Live’, will continue to inspire future operations at Kight Training Range.
By enhancing training infrastructures, such as the Kight Training Range, the 23rd Wg and its joint partners are proactively adapting to the evolving threat environment, as demonstrated by the CSARTF exercise. This commitment to joint interoperability, realistic training scenarios, and honoring the legacy of rescue pioneers ensures the U.S. Armed Forces maintain readiness and protect lives, providing the ability to respond to any threat.