NJWG GSAR Summer School 2026
June 27, 2026, 8:00 AM - July 4, 2026, 2:00 PM (America/New_York)
On behalf of the Wing Commander and the NJ GSAR School team, I am pleased to announce that the registration for the NJWG GSAR Summer School is open!
The School will be held from Saturday, June 27th 2026 to Saturday, July 4th 2026 at JBMDL. Students will be released at 1400 on July 4th.
The New Jersey Wing Ground Search and Rescue School is proud to offer the following courses for our Summer 2026 Session (Class 0726-S):
- Basic Ground Search & Rescue Course (GSAR): This course is designed for members pursuing qualification as a Ground Team Member 3 (GTM3), Ground Team Member 2 (GTM2), and Urban Direction Finding (UDF) while receiving advanced field training aligned with modern search and rescue practices used throughout New Jersey.
Training will take place both in garrison at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and in the field at designated training areas. Students will complete a combination of classroom instruction, hands-on field training, and a culminating 2-day/1-night Field Training Exercise (FTX) designed to simulate real-world mission conditions.
A major focus of the 2026 curriculum is integration with New Jersey Field Team Member 2 (FTM2) standards utilized by the State of New Jersey. Students will receive training in skills that align with both CAP ground operations and broader state SAR standards, including:
Land navigation
Search operations
Clue awareness and tracking fundamentals
Mission base operations
Direction finding
Fieldcraft
Team operations
Mission execution
Students who successfully complete all required prerequisites outside of the school and meet applicable state requirements may have the opportunity to complete portions of — or fully qualify for — FTM2 certification during the course.
The desired learning outcome is for students to complete GTM3, GTM2, and UDF qualifications while building the operational skills necessary for integration with state SAR partners and future advancement within Civil Air Patrol ground operations.
To maximize training time during the week, students will be assigned required pre-course familiarization materials and administrative requirements that must be completed prior to arrival.
- Mission Comms Course: The Mission Comms School will focus on CAP’s transformation from proprietary MRO/CUL qualifications to FEMA-based RADO and COML qualifications. Students will participate in classroom and field courses designed to prepare them for the theoretical and practical applications of radio communications to CAP ES Missions. Students will go field forward to support the Basic School during their overnight Field Training Exercise
Students of both courses will complete a combination of classroom and field instruction over the course of the week that is designed to prepare them for CAP ES missions, as well as integration with current SAR standards and practices employed by the State of NJ and other SAR organizations.
We will also be offering a BLS level First Aid/CPR/AED for an additional cost of $75.00, exclusive for GSAR students (a separate registration link will be provided for this course option).
The registration link for the Basic GSAR Course can be found here:
https://www.capnhq.gov/CAP.
Students will be selected on a first come, first serve basis.
Staff members will be selected by the NJWG GSAR Command Team.
If you are interested in attending the Mission Comms Course, a separate registration email will be sent at a later date.
If you have any questions, please direct them to myself or LtCol Israel Thompson (israel.thompson@njwg.cap.gov)
Regards,
