CC-CAP Unit UDF Team Deploys to Cabaniss Field

By Major Joe Ely Carrales, CAP
Corpus Christi, Texas— It was Thursday 12 June 2007 at the end of the workday when Lt Col Chris G. Bujanos, CAP of the Brownsville Composite Squadron contacted Major Joe Ely Carrales. An ELT on 243 MHz was being heard by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) at Tyndall A.F.B. in Florida and an active mission, 07-M-1244, was underway.
Major Joe Ely Carrales informed Lt Col Bujanos that a UDF team from the CC-CAP squadron would be assembled.

Major Carrales contacted and 1st Lt John D. Hoelscher asked him to stand-ready to lead a UDF team. Major Carrales then contacted 2d Lt B. Sam Kimbrell in Corpus Christi, Texas who was just getting off of work. Additionally, 1st Lt Mike Garmon and 1st Jerry Lunceford were also located.

In addition, an Aircrew made up of Lt Col Charlie Whatley and Capt Leonard Saddler of Victoria were dispatched in support of the mission.

The Coverage area of the CC-CAP unit is quite extensive ranging from as far north at Port Aransas, as west as Laredo and as south as Falfurrias, Texas. This is problematic since the unit’s only UDF equipment has to be placed in a position where it can make its way to any of these points of the compass. Normally, a handheld scanner can locate 121.5 MHz signals, however, this call as on 243 MHz and meant that only such UDF equipment could be used.

Major Carrales had the DF unit and a VHF radio transported to 1st Lt Hoelscher and he and the rest of the team proceeded to the Bay Area Fellowship Church, which was located very near the given coordinates.

The actual coordinates indicated a location near Cabaniss Field, an auxiliary landing field of NAS Corpus Christi. After nearly an hour of aerial and ground radio direction finding, no signal was acquired. It was later discovered that naval authorities had reported some hard landings earlier during the day. The mission closed without incident.