Mission Profiles
Raider Air operations are organized into four mission categories. Every mission falls into one of these.
CAT I — Emergency Top operational priority. CAT I missions transport the immediate family of a critically injured service member to the military or civilian treatment facility where their loved one is being cared for, and home again afterward. Response windows are measured in hours from the moment of notification.
CAT II — Dignified Transfer CAT II missions transport the immediate family of a deceased service member from their nearest accessible airport directly to Dover Air Force Base for the dignified transfer of remains. All service members killed overseas return through Dover. The standard government alternative — commercial coach tickets, connecting flights into Philadelphia, baggage claim, a rental car, and a 90-minute drive to Dover — is the wrong answer for a family in this circumstance. CAT II is our most frequent mission type.
CAT III — Funeral Support CAT III missions transport active-duty service members who served alongside the fallen to the funeral location. The Department of War does not fund unit-level travel for service members attending the funerals of their comrades. Without Raider Air, these service members must use personal leave and personal funds to be present. Approximately half of all Raider Air missions to date have been CAT III.
CAT IV — Mission Support CAT IV covers the operations that make CAT I, II, and III possible: aircraft positioning, crew movement, coordination with casualty offices, liaison meetings with installation commands, and other flight and ground operations conducted in furtherance of the Raider Air mission.
CAT I — Emergency Top operational priority. CAT I missions transport the immediate family of a critically injured service member to the military or civilian treatment facility where their loved one is being cared for, and home again afterward. Response windows are measured in hours from the moment of notification.
CAT II — Dignified Transfer CAT II missions transport the immediate family of a deceased service member from their nearest accessible airport directly to Dover Air Force Base for the dignified transfer of remains. All service members killed overseas return through Dover. The standard government alternative — commercial coach tickets, connecting flights into Philadelphia, baggage claim, a rental car, and a 90-minute drive to Dover — is the wrong answer for a family in this circumstance. CAT II is our most frequent mission type.
CAT III — Funeral Support CAT III missions transport active-duty service members who served alongside the fallen to the funeral location. The Department of War does not fund unit-level travel for service members attending the funerals of their comrades. Without Raider Air, these service members must use personal leave and personal funds to be present. Approximately half of all Raider Air missions to date have been CAT III.
CAT IV — Mission Support CAT IV covers the operations that make CAT I, II, and III possible: aircraft positioning, crew movement, coordination with casualty offices, liaison meetings with installation commands, and other flight and ground operations conducted in furtherance of the Raider Air mission.
