Technical sergeant earns honors for rescue efforts
Newport Daily News 12/19/2009, Page C01
PHILADELPHIA — Technical Sgt. James E. Hangsleben
recently was awarded the Richard T. Kight Award in recognition of his
accomplishments in the Air Force Rescue community.
Hangsleben distinguished himself as a
noncommissioned officer, in charge of the Personnel Recovery Branch,
Special Operations Command Pacific at Camp H.M. Smith in Hawaii from
Aug. 1, 2008, to July 31, 2009.
Hangsleben led personnel recovery efforts as the
Coordination Center director for SOCPAC and Joint Task Force 510. His
expertise and leadership resulted in superior personnel recovery
readiness and support for more than 13,000 special operation forces. He
coordinated aircraft and personnel support for two civilian search and
rescue operations in the vicinities of Guam and Adak, Alaska, saving the
lives of six civilian mariners. Through his efforts, Hangsleben ensured
force protection and recovery capability for 9,000 personnel involved in
operations across 22 countries in support of the global war on
terrorism.
The distinctive accomplishments of Hangsleben
reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
Hangsleben is the only Survival, Evasion,
Resistance and Escape Specialist assigned to Special Operations Command
Pacific as the personnel recovery and SERE program manager for SOF
Operations. He directs recovery mission planning in support of SOF
operations and is the lead PR planner for Joint Task Force 510,
USPACOM’s on-call counterterrorism task force.
Hangsleben, who was born in Newport, is a 1993 graduate of Middletown High School in Middletown, R.I. He entered the Air Force in 1993 and volunteered for the Survival Instructor career field, since re-designated as the SERE Specialist career field. In 2004, Hangsleben married the former Ryann Marie Dalby, daughter of a career Army officer. They have a son, Nicolli and a daughter, Kyla. He is the son of James and Kathy Hangsleben, formerly of Middletown who now live in Fall River, Mass.