Texas Military Department Joins 12th Annual Search and Rescue Exercise in San Antonio

The Texas Military Department took part in the 2026 Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX) in San Antonio, May 18-21, 2026, according to a U.S. Department of Defense release.

The exercise marks the 12th consecutive year of formal partnership between the Texas Military Department and civilian agencies. It brings together National Guard units, local first responders, law enforcement, and emergency management organizations to practice coordinated search and rescue operations under realistic disaster scenarios.

The Texas Military Department contributes personnel, equipment, and command-and-control assets that operate alongside civilian counterparts.

Prior to 2015 the department participated in similar drills on an ad-hoc basis. The standing SAREX partnership formalized in 2015 now runs annually with fixed dates, standardized scenarios, and documented interoperability protocols. The 2026 iteration concluded May 21 with after-action reviews now scheduled for completion by late June.

The exercise triggers three immediate downstream requirements. First, all participating agencies must submit interoperability findings to state emergency management officials by the end of June. Second, the Texas Military Department will update its domestic operations playbook with validated tactics, techniques, and procedures before the 2026 hurricane season peak.

Third, the after-action report will inform future federal grant applications for search and rescue equipment and training under existing Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security programs.

This marks the latest in a series of annual SAREX events that began in 2015. The Department of Defense has used these exercises to maintain readiness of National Guard forces for both overseas contingency operations and state-directed disaster response missions.

Primary sources: U.S. Department of Defense