EF in Personnel Recovery stands for Extraction Force, the forces assigned to the direct extraction of isolated personnel. They reach the personnel, establish physical contact and help bring them safely to pickup. An EF may form part of a Personnel Recovery Task Force (PRTF).
From contact to pickup
Immediate tasks include finding or reaching isolated personnel, identifying and authenticating them, protecting them and bringing them to the recovery platform. Where people are injured or exhausted, ground actions must also take account of reduced mobility and possible care requirements.
The mission may extend beyond a brief stay at an already known pickup location. Extraction forces may also conduct a ground search and prepare for subsequent pickup.
Ground team, recovery platform and mission command
The NATO PR model describes closely related tasks for a Ground Operations Team: it disembarks in or near the objective area, makes contact, identifies or authenticates the personnel and brings them to pickup. It may provide emergency medical care when needed.
The Recovery Vehicle (RV) provides the pickup and transport platform. The PRTF comprises the overall force assembled for the mission, including the protection and support elements required. The Rescue Mission Commander (RMC) plans and conducts the mission.
Personnel and medical preparation
In German personnel recovery training, Luftwaffe combat rescue personnel and specialised Army forces are among those performing Extraction Force tasks. Specially prepared mechanised infantry also undertake the role in training.
The work involves cooperation with transport crews, taking charge of personnel on the ground, protecting them and handing them over after recovery. In the French PR model, planning includes deciding whether the extraction forces' own capabilities can provide the care needed or whether additional medical personnel are required.
French Ground Extraction Forces
French Ground Extraction Forces training (GEF) combines rescue, first aid and extraction with practical ground tasks. These include movement on foot and cooperation during pickup by helicopter or boat. Radio reports from isolated personnel give the team information about their location and medical condition.