U.S. Civil Air Patrol Lt. Col. Brett Grooms, the legislative commander of the Civil Air Patrol's South Carolina Wing, secures his flight-suit gear prior to an aerospace control alert familiarization flight in an F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jet from the 169th Fighter Wing here June 11. The 169th FW712, in close coordination with the Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, the Eastern Air Defense Sector and the Federal Aviation Administration had recently hosted a Southeast Aerospace Control Alert June 5-7 but weather delays precluded Grooms from flying during the actual SACA event. The conference was a total team training initiative to improve homeland defense capabilities by developing techniques with joint forces during small-scale exercises. This conference consisted of South Carolina Air National Guard 169FW F-16 fighter jets, U.S. Coast Guard Rotary Wing Air Intercept Squadron MH-65D Dolphin helicopters from USCG Air Station Atlantic City and South Carolina Wing Civil Air Patrol aircraft and crews to hone their skills with tactical-level air-intercept procedures. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Megan Floyd)