Department of Defense
INSTRUCTION
NUMBER 3002.02
January 11, 2013
Incorporating Change 1, Effective April 25, 2016
USD(P)
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
