## Department Of Defense Instruction

NUMBER 3002.02
January 11, 2013
Incorporating Change 1, Effective April 25, 2016


## Subject: Personnel Recovery And 406 Mhz Search And Rescue (Sar) Emergency Beacons

in the Department of Defense

 References: (a) DoD Directive 3002.01E, "Personnel Recovery in the Department of
Defense," April 16, 2009, *as amended*

(b) DoD Instruction 3003.01, "DoD Support to Civil Search and Rescue (SAR),"
September 26, 2011

(c) DoD Directive 5111.1, "Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (USD(P)),"
December 8, 1999

(d) Parts 80.1061, 87.199, and 95.1402 of Title 47, Code of Federal Regulations

(e) DoD Instruction 5025.01, "DoD Directives Program," September 26, 2012

(fe) Deputy Secretary of Defense Memorandum, "Realignment of the Joint
Personnel Recovery Agency (JPRA) Under the Department of the Air Force," November 25, 2011
 1.  PURPOSE.  This Instruction establishes policies and assigns responsibilities for use of DoD 406 megahertz (MHz) emergency beacons for SAR and personnel recovery missions in accordance with References (a), (b), and the authority in Reference (c). 2.  APPLICABILITY.  This Instruction applies to OSD, the Military Departments, the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) and the Joint Staff, the Combatant Commands, the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense, the Defense Agencies, the DoD Field Activities, and all other organizational entities within DoD (hereinafter referred to collectively as the "DoD Components") 3.  DEFINITIONS.  See Glossary. 4.  POLICY.  It is DoD policy that:
a.  DoD 406 MHz emergency beacons that are Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking
(SARSAT) System compliant or type-approved shall be registered in the Joint SARSAT Electronic Tracking System (JSETS), a component of the Personnel Recovery Mission Software application suite, in support of the provisions of References (a) and (b) and this Instruction.

b.  Operational use of DoD 406 MHz emergency beacons shall be limited to instances when DoD personnel are in an emergency situation or become isolated from friendly control.  All device testing and training that will emit a signal shall be limited and be coordinated in accordance with paragraph 4.e. of the Enclosure of this Instruction.

c.  Registering DoD 406 MHz emergency beacons in JSETS, which results in a special registration in the U.S. 406 MHz Beacon Registration Database System administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), complies with Reference (d). Beacons registered in JSETS may be used across the full spectrum of DoD operations in personnel recovery and SAR. 5.  RESPONSIBILITIES.  See Enclosure. 6.  RELEASABILITY.  UNLIMITED.  *Cleared for public release.*  This Instruction is approved for public release and is available on the Internet from the DoD Issuances Website at http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives. 7.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  This Instruction: is effective January 11, 2013.

a.  Is effective January 11, 2013.

b.  Must be reissued, cancelled, or certified current within 5 years of its publication in accordance with DoD Instruction 5025.01 (Reference (e)).  If not it will expire effective January 11, 2013 and be removed from the DoD Issuances Website.

James N. Miller

Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Enclosure Responsibilities Glossary

## Enclosure Responsibilities

 1.  UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR POLICY (USD(P)).  The USD(P) shall:
a.  Serve as the OSD Principal Staff Assistant for the Secretary of Defense on DoD 406 MHz emergency beacon use for SAR and personnel recovery.

b.  Establish policy, assign responsibilities, and provide procedures on DoD 406 MHz emergency beacon use for SAR and personnel recovery. 2.  DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR PRISONER OF WAR/MISSING PERSONNEL AFFAIRS (DASD(POW/MPA)) ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR SPECIAL OPERATIONS AND LOW-INTENSITY CONFLICT (ASD(SO/LIC)).  The DASD(POW/MPA) *ASD(SO/LIC)*, under the authority, direction, and control of the USD(P), shall develop policy and provide oversight for DoD 406 MHz emergency beacon use for SAR and personnel recovery. 3.  HEADS OF THE DoD COMPONENTS.  The Heads of the DoD Components shall:
a.  Coordinate the use of beacons for testing, maintenance, or exercises with the DoD point of contact (POC) established in paragraph 5.b. of this Enclosure.

b.  Require component command and control systems to use JSETS as the sole source of DoD 406 MHz beacon registration information.  If the necessity exists for duplicative registration databases in the area of operation, request an exception from the POC established in paragraph 5.b. of this Enclosure.



c.  Develop 406 MHz beacon testing, training, accounting, and reporting policies, in conjunction with the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency (JPRA). 4.  SECRETARIES OF THE MILITARY DEPARTMENTS.  The Secretaries of the Military Departments, in addition to the responsibilities in section 3 of this Enclosure, shall:
a.  Establish guidance to minimize false alerts of DoD 406 MHz emergency beacons.


b.  Require that all DoD 406 MHz emergency beacons are registered in JSETS.
c.  Require commands that are issued DoD 406 MHz emergency beacons in an assigned,
deployed, or temporary duty status within a geographic Combatant Command to update JSETS
with arrival and departure dates in accordance with geographic Combatant Command theater entry requirements.

d.  Require personnel to be properly and fully trained to use and register DoD 406 MHz emergency beacons, including false alert prevention.

e.  Require that no beacon test, exercise, or any other non-emergency beacon activation be conducted unless coordinated with the DoD POC established pursuant to paragraph 5.b. of this Enclosure.

f.  Provide adequate annual funding for timely acquisition, operation, maintenance, and updating of JSETS, so that JSETS costs are shared equally by the Military Departments. 5.  SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE.  The Secretary of the Air Force, in addition to the responsibilities in sections 3 and 4 of this Enclosure, shall:
a.  Have primary Military Department responsibility for DoD 406 MHz emergency beacon use and operations along with JSETS-related activities as described in this Instruction.  In coordination with the CJCS, oversee the implementation and operation of JSETS to improve DoD 406 MHz beacon capabilities.

b.  Designate a DoD POC to serve as the DoD representative to NOAA to coordinate DoD
406 MHz emergency beacon registration and testing.

c.  Ensure JSETS procedures and operations are properly coordinated with the Beacon Registration Database System administered by NOAA to fulfill the requirements of Reference (d).

d.  Oversee necessary acquisitions, operations, maintenance, and updating of JSETS based on appropriate requirements that reflect input from the Combatant Commands regarding their anticipated needs and constraints.  Track 406 MHz emergency beacon and JSETS-related funding provided by other Military Departments, contracting support, and required programming activity or budgetary reports.

e.  Establish a JSETS working group to address all problem reports, issues, change requests, engineering change proposals, development efforts, and funding efforts.

f.  Pass 406 MHz emergency beacon alert notifications received from NOAA to the geographic Combatant Command personnel recovery Office of Responsibility affected. 6.  CJCS.  The CJCS, through JPRA in accordance with Deputy Secretary of Defense Memorandum (Reference (fe)), shall:
a.  Oversee the implementation and operation of JSETS to improve DoD 406 MHz beacon capabilities after coordinating with the Secretary of the Air Force.

b.  Establish the training standard for all Military Departments regarding DoD 406 MHz emergency beacon use, registration, and exercising, with false alert prevention included as an integral part of this course syllabus.

c.  Ensure that guidance regarding the proper usage of 406 MHz emergency beacons is published widely throughout DoD as part of existing joint education and training oversight responsibilities.

d.  Convey any DoD 406 MHz beacon policy issues to USD(P) after coordinating with the DASD(POW/MPA) *ASD(SO/LIC)* and the Secretary of the Air Force. 7.  GEOGRAPHIC COMBATANT COMMANDERS.  The geographic Combatant Commanders shall establish procedural requirements and guidance within their area of responsibility to:
a.  Accurately associate DoD 406 MHz emergency beacon identification information in JSETS with the current user, current unit, or current vehicle.

b.  Prevent testing, exercises, or any other non-emergency beacon activation unless coordinated with the DoD POC designated in accordance with paragraph 5.b. of this Enclosure.

c.  Ensure that JSETS is used as the sole information source to register and research individual beacon information, unless an exception has been granted under paragraph 3.b. of this Enclosure.

## Glossary Part I.  Abbreviations And Acronyms


AOR
area of responsibility
ASD(SO/LIC)
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict


CJCS
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
COSPAS
Cosmitscheskaja Sistema Poiska Awarinitsch Sudow (Russian: space system for search of vessels in distress)


DASD(POW/MPA) Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Prisoner of War/Missing
Personnel Affairs


JPRA
Joint Personnel Recovery Agency
JSETS
Joint SARSAT Electronic Tracking System


MHz
megahertz


NOAA
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


POC
point of contact


SAR
search and rescue
SARSAT
search and rescue satellite aided tracking


USD(P)
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy

## Part Ii.  Definitions

 These terms and their definitions are for the purpose of this Instruction. DoD 406 MHz emergency beacon.  A SARSAT-capable 406 MHz emergency locator beacon (i.e., personal locator beacon, emergency locator transmitter, emergency position indicating radio beacon) purchased for and utilized by DoD for use by DoD covered personnel for SAR and personnel recovery applications. false alert.  A COSPAS-SARSAT distress alert received by SAR authorities when no distress situation actually exists.