His story rings true to form, but it is not the entirety of the SAR experience. there is a hugey positive side as well - the rush and glow when you know your presence has undoubtedly saved lives. Since the author has only been at SAR or a few years, he may not have yet experienced this, but when he does, it will stay with him for decades.

There is a lot to SAR; it is a rich and complex experience, with overtones and ramifications that are unanticipated. With a common interest and experience in varying aspects of outdoor life, our volunteers came from different backgrounds and career paths. Some of us were students, others were college faculty (two if my closest companions were a molecular biologist and a dendrochronologist). We had a couple of physicians and two or three ER nurses, as well. Different backgrounds came in handy in solving problems and refining techniques.

Starting as an all male outfit, we learned that including women within the group improved our operations notably (not everyone was comfortable with this turn of events), but clearly mixed groups usually functioned more effectively than unisex groups.

All in all, SAR was a rewarding experience that gave me more that I gave it....

Russ, thanks for posting this.