News
2012 Reunion
The 2012 Reunion will be held in Chattanooga, TN from October 17 to October 21 at the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel. Click n "Reunion News" for more information.
2011 Reunion
The 2011 Reunion was held in Branson, MO from October 19 to October 23 at the Lodge of the Ozarks hotel. Events included the following shows: The Clay Cooper Show, The Andy Williams Show featuring Ann Margaret, The Hughes Brothers Show, and the Six Real Brothers Dinner and Show. We also visited the Veterans Memorial Museum and the Titanic tour. A huge hospitality suite stocked with snacks and beverages was the gathering place between events and prior to settling in for the night. All the events and dinners were arranged by Gatherings Plus, a Military Reunion Planning Service which did most of the work while the membership had the fun. The final banquet dinner included the singing of the National Anthem by the Hughes Brothers and after dinner entertainment by a very talented singer. The Richard T. Kight Award was presented to TSgt Mathew Leigh, a Pararescueman Craftman assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron at Pope Fileld, North Carolina. TSgt Leigh displayed uncommon courage under fire and executed forty-six combat search and rescue operations during his tour in Afghanistan.
2010 REUNION
The 35nd Air Rescue Association reunion was held in Sacramento, CA from Wednesday 22 September to Saturday 25, September. Among the many interesting events we were treated to: A Gold Rush history and wine tour, the Aerospace Museum and Coast Guard Sacramento Air Station tour, and an evening with the Moonlight Swing Big Band. Marcy and Bill Farnham gave their all to keep the members occupied and good spirits. The Awards Banquet included the presentation of the annual Richard T. Kight Award to S/Sgt Salvatore L. Portelli who is stationed at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa. (See citation and photos in the Articles section of this website).
Where's my May ARA Reunion Newsletter?
Answer:
Your Newsletter Editor has mailed the newsletter to all members whose
dues are paid up-to-date. Contact Sandy Gonzalez at
sgonzalez2@cfl.rr.com if
you have not received yours.
TOML Newsletter Published
The That Others May Live Foundation published online the most recent edition of their newsletter at http://combatrescue.webexone.com/r.asp?a=5&id=219847. You can open the document in the WebExOne window, or right-click the filename and select “Save Target As” to download the PDF to your hard drive (it is just a bit over 3MB).
TOML Donation Thank You Letter
Last Air Force Rescue Personnel Who Served in Iraq Return Home: Airmen from the 66th Rescue Squadron and 763rd Maintenance Squadron returned home to Nellis AFB, Nevada. Arriving via commercial charter on Wednesday, they were the last USAF rescue units to come home from duty in Iraq, a Nellis spokesperson confirmed to the Daily Report. Many of these airmen deployed constantly on four- to eight-month rotations since Operation Iraqi Freedom kicked off in March 2003. "It's almost like Christmas, coming home every time," said HH-60 Pave Hawk pilot Capt. Ben Buchta, reported the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "I honestly thought I would probably be out of the Air Force before we'd be out of Iraq," he added. Some of the most heavily deployed career fields in the Air Force over the last decade, these pararescue jumpers, rescue crews, and maintainers have rotated constantly between Iraq, Afghanistan, home station, and other trouble spots in Southwest Asia. (See also Las Vegas' KNTV report.) (Posted 2/10/12)
A Penchant of Valor: The Air Force has decorated 11 airmen from the California Air National Guard's 129th Rescue Wing with the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor for rescue missions in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010. Bestowing one of the Air Force's highest awards on 11 airmen simultaneously "is nothing short of extraordinary," said Army Brig. Gen. Matthew Beevers, California National Guard assistant adjutant general, during the Nov. 5 awards ceremony at Moffett Federal Airfield, home of the wing. He added, "The 129th has come to be recognized as one of the most highly decorated units to have fought in Operation Enduring Freedom." Pinned for their heroic actions were (in ascending chronological order):
Maj. Thomas Keegan, HH-60 pilot, near FOB Bastion, June 29,
2009;
Lt. Col. George Dona, HH-60 pilot, near Kandahar Airfield, July 29,
2009;
Maj. Mary Jennings Hegar, HH-60 pilot, near Kandahar, July 29, 2009;
SMSgt. Steven Burt, HH-60 flight engineer, near Kandahar, July 29, 2009;
TSgt. Tiejie Jones, HH-60 gunner, near Kandahar, July 29, 2009;
Lt. Col. Rhys Hunt, HH-60 pilot, near Kandahar, Aug. 9, 2009;
Lt. Andrew Hedin, HH-60 flight engineer, near Kandahar, Aug. 9, 2009;
CMSgt. Jason Red, HH-60 gunner, near Kandahar, Aug. 9, 2009;
MSgt. Luigge Romanillo, pararescueman, near Bagram Airfield, May 4,
2010;
SMSgt. Larry Hiyakumoto, pararescueman, near Bagram, June 27, 2010;
and
SSgt. Joshua Webster, pararescueman, near Bagram, June 27, 2010.
(Moffett
report by SrA. Jessica Green) (Posted 11/14/11)
Kadena Airman Awarded DFC: TSgt. Scott Lagerveld, a flight engineer with the 33rd Rescue Squadron, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroic action in Afghanistan last summer. On June 27, 2010, Lagerveld was part of a search and rescue team charged with supporting direct operations and transferring patients. He and his crew were assigned to Bagram Airfield, when they heard "heavy gun fire." He ended up participating in eight back-to-back casualty evacuation missions, during which his "extreme discipline and actions" led to the recovery of 13 US soldiers and coalition forces that day. Four other crew members also received the DFC for their actions, but their names were not included in the release. "We don't do our job for medals or awards," said Lagerveld. "We do it for the guys on the ground." Lagerveld was presented the medal during an Oct. 17 ceremony at Kadena AB, Japan, where he is now assigned. (Kadena release by A1C Brooke P. Beers) (Posted 11/4/11)
First HC-130J Rescue Bird:
Lockheed
Martin
turned over the first HC-130J Combat King II personnel recovery aircraft
to Air Combat Command. Gen. Norton Schwartz, Chief of Staff, ferried the
new aircraft from Lockheed's production facility in Marietta, Ga., to
Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., where it will join the 79th Rescue Squadron.
"This is such a significant milestone for the personnel recovery
community. The capabilities of the new HC-130J are a magnitude greater
than any of its predecessors," said Schwartz after touching down on
Sept. 24 with the airplane. The J model is capable of being refueled in
flight and boasts feature like new electro-optical sensors, improved
navigation, and enhanced-life wing structures. ACC's 1965-vintage
HC-130P/N fleet will gradually retire as J models enter the inventory.
Air Force officials expect HC-130Js to begin regular duty at Davis-Monthan
in early 2013. The Air Force has 11 HC-130Js on order, but
plans to procure 37 in total. (Davis-Monthan
report by A1C Nicholas Benroth) (Lockheed
release) (Posted 9/27/11).
DFC with Valor for Moody Airman: Maj. Kirk Adams, an HH-60 pilot with the 41st Rescue Squadron at Moody AFB, Ga., last week received the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor for his heroic actions in Afghanistan in 2009. On April 4, 2009, Adams "suppressed armed enemies" while evacuating a critical casualty near Kajaki, Afghanistan, according to Moody officials. Maj. Gen. Stephen Hoog, 9th Air Force commander, presented the medal to Adams during a ceremony Sept. 7. The Distinguished Flying Cross recognizes a member of the US military who distinguishes himself in combat by heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight. (Moody report)
HH-60 Recap IOC Slips: The Air Force's new combat rescue helicopters may be delayed up to three years, according to an updated request for information released earlier this week. The initial RFI, filed last October, called for battle-ready helos by the end of 2015; however, the updated version requires the program to reach initial operational capability with a medium risk schedule by Fiscal 2018 "or sooner." That means eight aircraft—four primary training aircraft and four primary mission aircraft—with training systems and support should be in place by that time. The Air Force intends to eventually replace about 112 HH-60G Pave Hawks, which have been in service since the early 1980s. "The USAF anticipates the HH-60 Recap aircraft will be an existing production helicopter with modifications using existing mature technology with only limited integration of existing subsystem as required," according to the RFI. The helicopter also should include "multiple situational awareness/tactical data links." (See also No More Hovering in Helicopter Recap Strategy from the Daily Report archives) (Posted 8/12/11)
Rescue Training in the Djibouti Desert: Pararescuemen of the 82nd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron boarded a Marine Corps MH-53, along with an Army site security team, for a simulated joint rescue mission in Djibouti's Grand Bara desert. Deployed to Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, rescuers from all three services train to function seamlessly as a single unit. "When you're working in a joint environment, it can never be assumed that everything will run smooth in an emergency," said Maj. John Graver, the Air Force Reservist in charge of the 82nd ERQS. Coordinated through the Joint Operations Center at Camp Lemonier, the multi-service team scrambled to secure the simulated crash scene, recovering six role-playing victims from the desert, June 16. Covering the Horn of Africa, the units "owe it to the people we may be tasked to save to practice these operations whenever we can," underscored Graver. (Djibouti report by SSgt. Austin May) (Posted 6/29/11)
Two Lakenheath Airmen Awarded DFC: Capt. John Frederick and TSgt. Patrick Ledbetter, both assigned to the 56th Rescue Squadron at RAF Lakenheath, England, received the Distinguished Flying Cross for their heroic actions in Afghanistan. On May 4, 2010, Frederick, an HH-60 Pave Hawk pilot, successfully evacuated wounded soldiers from an ambush site in the Tagab Valley even though enemy fire prevented ground troops from marking the landing site and thunderstorms severely reduced visibility. After extracting the first wounded soldier, Frederick used his helicopter to protect his trail aircraft as it evacuated another wounded soldier. On Dec. 28, 2009, Ledbetter, a Pave Hawk flight engineer, was on a night mission to extract a casualty near Nad e Ali; however, incoming fire forced the crew to abort the first attempt. On the second attempt, Ledbetter recognized that the landing zone was mismarked and called for an immediate go around, but his aircraft lost sight of its wingman during reapproach. Ledbetter re-acquired the second aircraft, preventing a mid-air collision. The third attempt was successful. The award ceremony took place on June 23. (Lakenheath report by SrA. David Dobrydney) (Posted 6/29/11)
DFC for Three Nellis Airmen: Three rescue airmen assigned to Nellis AFB, Nev., received the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor for heroic actions in Afghanistan. They are: Maj. Keith Altenhofen, 561st Joint Tactics Squadron instructor pilot; MSgt. Joshua Fetters, 34th Weapons Squadron flight engineer; and TSgt. Christian Corella, 88th Test and Evaluation Squadron aerial gunner. On April 4, 2009, then Staff Sergeant Corella manned his .50 caliber machine gun through a blinding sand storm as his HH-60 helicopter helped evacuate a wounded Afghan soldier, saving his life. Corella is also credited with saving the lives of 40 US special forces soldiers that same day by redirecting their convoy after it had come under enemy attack. In separate action on May 19, 2009, then Captain Altenhofen and Fetters conducted three successful personnel extractions with their HH-60, overcoming heavy enemy fire and a critical engine failure to save three wounded soldiers. They also got much-needed supplies to friendly ground forces. (Nellis report by SrA. Michael Charles) (Posted 6/23/11)
Alaska Pararescuemen Show Meddle During Deployment: Members of the Alaska Air National Guard's 212th Rescue Squadron at Camp Denali are credited with saving 107 lives during an eight-month deployment to Afghanistan. "Just about everybody in the unit had the chance to deploy, and they represented the Alaska Air National Guard very well," said Maj. Joe Conroy, 212th RQS director of operations. Its Guardsmen supported the deployment, which concluded in May, in two- to four-month intervals. During their time at Bagram Airfield, the Air Guardsmen spent their time transferring patients between medical facilities and engaged in sometimes-harrowing combat rescue missions. On one particular occasion on April 23, five of the unit's pararescuemen—Maj. Jesse Peterson, TSgt. Shane Hargis, TSgt. Chris Uriarte, SSgt. Bill Cenna, and SSgt. Zachary Kline—retrieved an Army aviator and his fallen comrade in the face of heavy enemy fire. (Camp Denali report by Maj. Guy Hayes) (Posted 6/16/11).
Superhero Solutions for Combat
Rescue:
Pararescuemen
of the Kentucky Air National Guard's 123rd Special Tactics Squadron
performed a live demonstration for engineers and scientists at
Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, who are looking to improve the equipment
that the combat rescuers use. Extracting a mock victim from a
representative Humvee, the PJs provided the 711th Human Effectiveness
Directorate a place to begin. "By viewing the demonstration from a lab
perspective, our scientists and engineers can determine if there is a
better way for the PJs to perform any part of their mission," explained
Randy Mieskoski, manager of the Specialized Warfighter Operations
Research Development program. "Maybe we know of a technology that exists
that can be adapted." The directorate recently expanded its work, which
formerly concentrated on improving the effectiveness of joint terminal
attack controllers, to include pararescue. (Wright-Patt
report by Elizabeth Long) (Posted 6/2/11)
Distinguished Half Dozen: Six rescue airmen from Moody AFB, Ga., last month received the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor for their extraordinary achievements during missions in Afghanistan. Gen. William Fraser, head of Air Combat Command, presented the medal to Maj. Charles McMullen, Capt. Nathan Dennen, Capt. Daran Gaus, Capt. Evan Roth, MSgt. Jerrod Morse, and SrA. Brett Taylor. All serve with the 41st Rescue Squadron, an HH-60G Pave Hawk unit. Gaus, Roth, and Morse were recognized for their role in rescuing two wounded British soldiers, one of whom was badly injured, in the face of intense enemy gunfire. McMullen, Dennen, and Taylor were honored for their actions in a separate mission. During the May 20 award ceremony at Moody, Fraser said he was "honored to serve" with these airmen. (Moody report by SSgt. Melissa Mekpongsatorn) (Posted 6/1/11)
A Day in the Life:
Airmen
of
the 83rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan,
performed a daring mountainside rescue last month after an Army
helicopter crashed in a valley about 20 miles from the base. During the
intense, multi-hour mission, the two HH-60G Pave Hawk aircrews—Pedro 83
and Pedro 84—and the pararescuejumpers they carried, endured intense
enemy ground fire to rescue one injured pilot, recover the body of the
second pilot, and retrieve a wounded ground soldier. Along the way,
Pedro 84's flight engineer was shot in the leg and Pedro 83 had to
switch to a second HH-60 airframe after hostile gunfire put its first
helicopter out of action. "There was no way he wasn't coming back," said
SSgt. Zachary Kline, one of the PJs who went in to retrieve the fallen
pilot's body. For the full account of the April 23 mission, read Capt.
Erick Saks' on-scene
report. (Posted 5/3/11)
Bronze Stars with Valor for Nellis Airmen: Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, last week presented the Bronze Star with Valor Medal to three pararescuemen during a ceremony at Nellis AFB, Nev. Mullen individually recognized TSgt. Jeffrey Hedglin, TSgt. Ryan Manjuck, and SSgt. Asher Woodhouse for their courage under enemy fire in rescuing three wounded US soldiers in Afghanistan on June 3, 2010. Each airman is assigned to Nellis' 58th Rescue Squadron. "I'm accepting this award on behalf of the rescue community as a whole," said Hedglin during the April 14 ceremony. He acted as the Guardian Angel team leader. He organized and led the pararescuemen, carrying a wounded soldier more than 25 meters across open terrain while under fire to a rescue helicopter for evacuation. Manjuck, while under enemy fire, provided hoist extractions for the wounded soldiers and gave medical treatment to one who was critically injured. "[W]hat I did is nothing compared to some of my brethren in the rescue community who do this every day," he said. Woodhouse alerted a helicopter aircrew of incoming surface-to-air missiles and safely evacuated two of the injured soldiers from the hostile area. (Nellis report by SrA. Michael Charles) (Posted 4/18/11).
Salty Hawks:
Airmen
and
HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters from the 56th Rescue Squadron at RAF
Lakenheath, England, are testing their sea legs by deploying aboard the
USS Ponce, a Navy amphibious transport dock ship operating off
the coast of Libya in the Mediterranean Sea. They are there sitting on
alert to rescue any coalition aircrews that go down supporting Operation
Odyssey Dawn. "We're covering US and other coalition forces as this is a
big, joint endeavor," said 56th RQS pilot Lt. Col. Mark Ahrens. In
addition to few spare parts, confined spaces, and constant deck
movement, these airmen have found operating their HH-60s in a marine
environment challenging. "The salt is one of the worst things I've
seen," explained crew chief SSgt. Garrett Fillingham, noting that the
Pave Hawks require almost daily washing. The Lakenheath airmen arrived
on the Ponce late last month. (USS Ponce
report by Navy MC1C Nathanael Miller). (Posted 4/8/11)
New Rescue Tanker Completes Developmental Testing: The Air Force's new HC-130J rescue tanker has successfully finished developmental testing, prime contractor Lockheed Martin announced. The aircraft last week accomplished the final test objective when it mated with a KC-135 tanker in flight to receive fuel. Entering the final assembly line in 2009, this HC-130J airframe rolled out of Lockheed's assembly plant in Marietta, Ga., last April. The Air Force wants to procure up to 37 HC-130Js to replace its 1960s-era HC-130P fleet on a one-for-one basis. The HC-130J air-to-air refueling sortie also accomplished one of the testing points for the new MC-130J special-mission aircraft that the Air Force also is acquiring, according to Lockheed. The rollout of the first MC-130J from Marietta is planned for later this month. Deliveries of the first HC-130Js and MC-130Js will start in August, with initial operational capability slated in 2012 for both aircraft.(Posted 3/23/11)
Evacuate!: For
the
first time in 15 years, the entire fleet of Air Force Reserve Command's
920th Rescue Wing at Patrick AFB, Fla., took to the sky during a recent
drill weekend. The wing's three HC-130 refueling tankers cleared
Patrick's runway first, joined minutes later by its six HH-60G Pave
Hawks, during the mass hurricane evacuation exercise. After flying
several miles out to sea, the tankers refueled the helicopters and the
ensemble returned to Patrick after some maneuvers along the Atlantic
coastline. "These are old planes; to put 100 percent of them in the air
together is a major feat that required a lot of time, effort and
coordination," said Col. Robert Dunn, 920th RQW commander. The wing must
be able to evacuate quickly, sparing its assets to provide aid in a
storm's wake. These Reservists and their machines also frequently deploy
overseas to support military operations. (Patrick
report by SSgt. Annamarie Wyant)
Pararescueman Decorated for Valor: SSgt Andrew Rios, a pararescueman with the 38th Rescue Squadron at Moody AFB, Ga., has received the Bronze Star Medal with Valor for combat action in Afghanistan in 2009. An HH-60G Pave Hawk door gunner, Rios covered the evacuation of wounded members of a convoy after an improvised explosive device detonated. Despite a jammed weapon, Rios returned fire with his personal weapon, covering a second Pave-Hawk, PEDRO 15, as it extracted the wounded. When small-arms fire struck PEDRO 15 on egress, forcing an emergency landing, Rios sprinted from his helicopter to provide aid to the crew, volunteering to stay at the crash site until all the wounded were evacuated. "When under fire, he only saw the tasks that needed to be accomplished and did exactly what he needed to do to complete them and save lives," said CMSgt. Matthew Wells, 38th RQS enlisted manager. Rios' award ceremony was on March 4. (Moody report by A1C Nicholas Benroth) Posted 3/8/11)
Revamping PJ Training: The Air Force is revamping the way it trains its pararescue personnel in the hopes of reducing attrition rates in this training pipeline, said Gen. Edward Rice, head of Air Education and Training Command. Improvement initiatives include: better preparing candidates before they arrive, standardizing the physical ability stamina test, and testing candidates' psychological state to make sure they are tough enough to succeed. "We tried to put more through in the front end, but that wasn't the answer, so we broke down the pipeline . . . to ensure that those who raised their hand and said, 'I want to do this,' really know what they are getting into and really want to do it," Rice told attendees of AFA's Air Warfare Symposium last week in Orlando, Fla. The command also is requiring that every candidate stay in the program for at least five days or risk getting kicked out of the Air Force altogether.(Posted 2/22/11)
Training in the Titan's Lair:
Pararescuemen
and
combat rescue officers from Air Force Reserve Command's 920th Rescue
Wing at Patrick AFB, Fla., joined with active duty rescue personnel in a
challenging, two-week training course designed to hone their
high-altitude, high-angle, and confined-space rescue techniques. An
unused, 300-foot-tall Titan rocket assembly building at Cape Canaveral
AFS, Fla., served as the training venue. The massive facility allowed
them to practice climbing high or rappelling far down to rescue mock
survivors and victims by utilizing their ropes and riggings. "This
course and our knowledge of ropes give us the credibility to be able to
come in and do the rescue in a timely, safe fashion," said Capt. James
Sluder, a combat rescue officer with the wing. "Keeping everything as
simple as possible is our goal here," noted TSgt. Adrian Durham, 920th
RQW pararescueman. (Cape Canaveral
report by SSgt. Leslie Kraushaar) (Posted 1/26/11).
Air Combat Command Establishes Personnel Recovery Division: Air Combat Command at Langley AFB, Va., has created a personnel recovery division, designated A3J, to execute the command's responsibilities for organizing, training, and equipping dedicated Air Force rescue forces and preparing all USAF personnel at risk of isolation. "Part of our job entails producing well-trained rescue forces to execute recovery operations, but there's another important piece," said Lt. Col. Todd Worms, A3J chief. He continued, "Our focus is to ensure that anyone who is at risk of isolation is properly trained and prepared to handle those challenges." ACC officials on Monday announced the new division, but they actually activated it in December. In August 2009, the Office of the Secretary of Defense approved personnel recovery as a USAF core function. Shortly thereafter, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz signed the operational concept for personnel recovery. (Langley report by Justin Oakes) (Posted 1/20/11).
Airmen Retrieve Injured Hiker: Braving high winds and rugged terrain, an HH-60 crew with Air Force Reserve Command's 943rd Rescue Group at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., helped save a badly injured hiker. Using night-vision equipment, they maneuvered their Pave Hawk helicopter within the jagged topography of the Pusch Ridge, located in Coronado National Forest, north of Tucson. They then lowered a pararescueman from Davis-Monthan's active duty 48th Rescue Squadron to secure the stranded 23-year-old woman, who had lain for almost five hours with back injuries and a broken leg. After safely bringing her aboard the helicopter, these airmen transported her to a nearby hospital during the Dec. 23 rescue. Civilian helicopter crews had to abort earlier rescue attempts due to the winds and terrain's steepness. "An Air Force rescue helicopter and night-vision-goggle-equipped crew made all the difference," said Col. Harold Maxwell, the group's commander. (Davis-Monthan report by Capt. Cathleen Snow) (Posted 1/4/11)
Patrick Airmen, Canadian Personnel
Conquer Maritime Rescue: Aviation
rescue
airmen and pararescue jumpers from Air Force Reserve Command's 920th
Rescue Wing at Patrick AFB, Fla., conducted a training mission with
Canadian rescue forces off the coast of Key West, Fla. The Patrick
airmen flew their HC-130 rescue tankers and HH-60G rescue helicopters,
practicing spot landings and precision equipment and personnel drops
with the Canadians at various islands and airports in the Florida Keys.
As part of the activities, the Patrick PJs and Canadian search and
rescue technicians also dove into the ocean waters from the aircraft and
from watercraft to practice maritime rescue. The exercise took place
Dec. 8-13. (Patrick
report by Capt. Cathleen Snow and SSgt. Leslie Kraushaar) (Posted
12/21/10)
Rescue Airmen Add Blood to Life-Saving Kits: Pararescuemen with the 46th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, have begun carrying units of blood with them on rescue missions for the first time since the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom. The reason, they said, is that USAF rescue units are performing casualty evacuation more often and are treating wounded troops who would benefit from the blood. Already on Nov. 30, this made a difference in the life of a marine critically wounded by an improvised explosive device. The PJs administered packed red blood cells in order to keep the marine alive as they transported him to a hospital. "If it wasn't for the blood, we may have lost the life of a marine that day," said SSgt. George Reed, a 46th ERQS pararescueman who was part of the crew that day. (Kandahar report by SrA. Melissa B. White) (Posted 12/13/10)
Happy Birthday, Combat Rescue Officers: The Air Force created the combat rescue officer career field 10 years ago Wednesday. "We recognize how vital the personnel recovery and combat rescue missions have become in our expeditionary aerospace force concept," said former Air Force Secretary Whit Peters on Dec. 8, 2000, when he and then-Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Ryan directed the creation of a 165-man team to accomplish the mission. Peters added: "The ability to bring people home safely from dangerous missions is paramount. Establishing a career field devoted to this mission will ensure attention is always focused on this commitment." CROs have been conducting personnel recovery missions since February 2002. Today, they continue to save the lives of US, coalition, and civilian personnel across Southwest Asia. The CROs "are true leaders," said Lt. Gen. Mike Hostage, Air Forces Central commander. (Maxwell report by A1C Christopher S. Stoltz) (Posted 12/8/10)
Pave Hawk Pilot wins Cheney
Award:
Maj.
John Mangan, an HH-60G helicopter pilot, has won the Cheney Award
for the rescue of two critically injured marines in Helmand Valley,
Afghanistan, on July 2, 2009. Mangan, assistant director of operations
for the 41st Rescue Squadron at Moody AFB, Ga., led his formation of two
HH-60s on that day to reach the marines, executing multiple approaches
into two different landing zones despite intense enemy fire and a lack
of communications with ground forces. He credits his team for completing
the daunting mission. "There were 15 people on the flight who put their
lives at risk to do the right thing and save these guys; it wasn't just
me," he said. The Cheney Award is presented annually to aviators who
demonstrate an act of valor, extreme fortitude, or self-sacrifice in a
humanitarian venture. (SAF/PA
report by TSgt. Amaani Lyle) (Posted 12/8/10).
Moody Rescue Airmen Train with Flight Simulator: Members of the 23rd Operations Support Squadron at Moody AFB, Ga., recently hosted the first class of HC-130 rescue aircrews in the unit's C-130 flight simulator. This simulator can accommodate an entire HC-130 crew and presents these pilots, flight engineers, navigators, and communications specialists with stressing scenarios that they may encounter on a mission, but that cannot be replicated in actual training flights. "The simulation facility helps prepare the crew for events that could happen in a real-world scenario," said SSgt. Ricky Lamm, flight engineer with Moody's 71st Rescue Squadron. The simulator, which arrived at Moody in 2009, is part of the weeklong HC-130 training course that also includes classroom activities. (Moody report by A1C Nicholas Benroth) (Posted 11/17/10).
Museum Restoring Jolly Green
Giant: Technicians,
airmen,
and volunteers are restoring a historic HH-3 "Jolly Green Giant" rescue
helicopter for display at the National Museum of the US Air Force in
Dayton, Ohio. It will become a centerpiece of the museum's transformed
Southeast-Asia War gallery when it emerges from restoration in December,
said museum officials. Shipped directly from storage in the boneyard at
Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., this helicopter (tail number 67-14709) served
in combat for 32 months with the 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery
Squadron at DaNang AB, South Vietnam, during the Vietnam War. Its
aircrews served with distinction, rescuing 27 US airmen and earning one
Air Force Cross and 14 Silver Stars for heroism. After that war, this
helicopter was stationed at Osan AB, Korea. In 1979, its crew won the
prestigious MacKay Trophy for rescuing 28 sailors shipwrecked in the
Yellow Sea. (Dayton
report by Terry Aitken) (Posted 11/16/10).
Fairchild Airmen Rescue Six Civilians: Airmen with the 36th Rescue Flight, a UH-1N helicopter unit at Fairchild AFB, Wash., last week saved six people and a dog during two separate operations in northern Idaho. Unexpected snowfall, up to three feet deep in some places, stranded a father and daughter as well as four campers among the 7,000-foot peaks in that area. A five-person UH-1N crew recovered the father and daughter near St. Maries, Idaho, on Oct. 28. On their way back to Fairchild, the call came about the missing campers outside of Lewiston, Idaho. The crew found the four campers and evacuated them. A second UH-1N from Fairchild retrieved the campers' dog. Maj. John Beurer, flight commander, praised his airmen, saying: "Their professionalism and dedication to the mission saved lives and reunited families today." (Fairchild report by SSgt. J.G. Buzanowski) (Posted 11/3/10)
Kirtland Inaugurates Combat Rescue Training Facility: Pararescuemen and combat rescue officers completing training at Kirtland AFB, N.M., will, for the first time, enjoy a dedicated facility of their own. The 342nd Training Squadron, Det. 1, has inaugurated the new Rescue/Recovery Training Center there for instruction in areas like field medicine and combat-trauma. Trainees in the final rotation previously utilized a World War II-era facility that artificially restricted class sizes to 100 students per rotation due to space constraints. The new facility eliminates that bottleneck to the training pipeline since it can accommodate up to 165 students per rotation, a Kirtland spokesman told the Daily Report Wednesday. Kirtland officials held the ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday. (Includes Kirtland release) (Posted 10/14/10)
The Road to the New Rescue Tanker: Air Force officials took delivery of the service's first new-build HC-130J rescue tanker from Lockheed Martin in Marietta, Ga., early last month, but this platform will not enter operational service for another two years. The aircraft will remain in Marietta undergoing developmental test until October 2011, SSgt Robin Stanchak, spokeswoman for the 23rd Wing at Moody AFB, Ga., told the Daily Report. After that, it will transfer to Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., for use in operational testing and in training crew members from the base's 79th Rescue Squadron as the unit prepares for the transition from the HC-130 to the HC-130J, she said. Finally, in December 2012, the Air Force expects to deliver this HC-130J, along with two others, to the 79th RQS. The unit will then begin initial operations with the HC-130Js and be ready for deployments, said Stanchak. The Air Force is acquiring a total of 37 HC-130Js as well as 37 brand new MC-130J special-mission aircraft under an $8.7 billion recapitalization program that runs from Fiscal 2008 through Fiscal 2019. The HC-130Js are replacing Air Combat Command's HC-130s. (posted 10/11/10)
Moody Airmen Advise Colombians: Rescue airmen from the 23rd Wing at Moody AFB, Ga., recently completed a weeklong visit to Palanquero AB, Colombia, to share their knowledge with Colombian air force C-130 crews. This visit is one of US Southern Command's partnership-capacity-building initiatives. During the visit, the Moody airmen observed and advised the Colombians on how to be more effective in their rescue operations, including in their country's rough terrains, and other activities such as air drops and personnel infiltration and exfiltration. Although the USAF airmen were invited to advise the Colombians, the information exchange went both ways. "In the US Air Force, we seem to get typecast into certain roles where they don't have those restrictions here. They have more flexibility on learning new tactics and procedures," said Lt. Col. Peter Dominicis, 347th Operations Support Squadron director of operations. (Palanquero report by SSgt. Andrea Thacker) (Posted 9/27/10)
Son of CSAR?: It's not been determined when the Air Force will pursue a replacement for the HH-60 Combat Search and Rescue aircraft, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz told reporters Tuesday. "We prefer not to SLEP [perform a Service Life Extension Program on] the HH-60," he said, but he couldn't promise the new airplane will be in the budget soon. "We are committed to [recapitalizing] these machines and we'll do that as rapidly as our topline … will allow." He said the mission is one all the services count on the Air Force to perform, and it will be supported. USAF wants an "off the shelf" platform as the next CSAR aircraft, fitted with the specialized gear necessary for it to "go downtown," Schwartz said. (Posted 9/15/10)
Etchberger to Receive Medal of Honor:
CMSgt.
Richard
L. Etchberger will posthumously receive the nation's highest military
tribute, the Medal of Honor, from President Obama on Sept. 21, the White
House announced last week. (See our
initial coverage.) After more than four decades, Etchberger is
finally being recognized for the conspicuous gallantry that he displayed
in combat on March 11, 1968, when North Vietnamese soldiers overran Lima
Site 85, a secret Air Force radar facility in the Laotian mountains.
During the desperate battle, Etchberger, a ground radar superintendent,
kept the enemy troops at bay with an M-16. His courageous action allowed
seven of the 19 Americans there to be rescued, but Etchberger was
mortally wounded as he boarded the rescue helicopter. "I wouldn't be
alive without him," said retired TSgt. John Daniel of La Junta, Colo.,
who was rescued from Lima Site 85 that fateful day. Although Etchberger
was posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross, the White House at the
time declined to award him the Medal of Honor, as it did not want to
attract attention to the presence of the clandestine US site in a
supposedly neutral country. (White House
release) (SAF/PA
release) (For more, read
The Fall of Lima Site 85 from the Air Force Magazine
archives.) (Posted 9/7/10)
HC-130J Makes First Flight: The
first
HC-130J
combat rescue tanker destined for the Air Force has made its maiden
flight, according to aircraft maker Lockheed Martin. The aircraft took
to the skies July 29 from the company's assembly plant in Marietta, Ga.
It is scheduled for delivery to Air Combat Command in September, after
completing flight tests, says Lockheed. This airframe
rolled off Marietta's production line in April. The Air Force is
buying HC-130Js to replace its fleet of 40-year-old HC-130s. ACC is
expected to begin operating the HC-130Js in 2012. They are an enhanced
version of the KC-130J tankers that the Marine Corps operates. (Lockheed
release) (Posted 8/2/10)
Rescue Unit Stays Sharp: With less rescue missions taking place in Iraq as stability sets in, members of the 64th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, an HH-60 helicopter unit operating from Joint Base Balad, are using their time in order to train and keep their skills sharp. All the while, they have an eye on possible future deployments to much more restive Afghanistan. "We don't really get a chance to launch on a lot of actual rescue and recovery missions [here]," said Capt. Jay Humphrey, a pilot with the unit. He added, "So it's more of a chance to get out and fly about two times a week to stay on top of our game." The unit still trains in scenarios involving threats to the Pave Hawks, even though, as Humphrey notes, the threat levels have "decreased significantly" over the past several years. (Balad report by Kali L. Gradishar) (Posted 7/27/10)
More Helicopter Musical Chairs: Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin announced Thursday that they have joined forces to compete to build the Air Force's next combat search and rescue helicopter. They intend to offer an advanced version of Sikorsky's UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter to replace the service's aging HH-60G Pave Hawks under USAF's forthcoming recapitalization program. Sikorsky will be the prime contractor; Lockheed will supply the major subsystems. The Air Force would like to field the first of these new rescue helicopters in 2015. The last time the Air Force tried to replace its Pave Hawks under the now-defunct CSAR-X program, Lockheed offered its US101 helicopter, based on an AgustaWestland design, against Sikorsky's HH-92 and Boeing's HH-47. In June, Boeing acquired the rights to the 101 from AgustaWestland. Already Boeing has proposed the 101 as the Navy's next Presidential helicopter. Maybe the Boeing 101 will also be a Pave Hawk replacement option. (Posted 7/16/10).
Fifth Airman Dies as Result of Pave Hawk Crash: Capt David A. Wisniewski, 31, an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter pilot with the 66th Rescue Squadron at Nellis AFB, Nev., died July 2 of wounds that he sustained June 9 in a Pave Hawk crash in southeastern Afghanistan. Wisniewski succumbed to his wounds at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. He is the fifth rescue airman to die as a result of the June 9 crash. Two other rescue airmen from Nellis who were injured in the crash continue to recover from their wounds at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. Wisniewski, of Moville, Iowa, was a 2002 Air Force Academy graduate. He had logged more than 1,500 flight hours, including 289 combat hours, during his eight-year career, and was credited with saving numerous lives. (Nellis report) (DOD release) (Posted 7/6/10)
Joint Effort Helps Save Crash Victims:
Air
Force rescue personnel deployed to Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, from Pope
AFB, N.C., on June 9 carried out the first-ever joint aeromedical
evacuation mission with British medical teams on "non-validated
casualties." Their actions helped save the lives of three US airmen who
were injured in the crash of an HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopter
earlier that day in Afghanistan's Helmand province. That same crash
claimed the lives of four other USAF rescue personnel. Non-validated
means a patient whose transport has not yet been approved via the normal
procedures. By bypassing the normal steps, the joint team was able to
act much more quickly, They were dispatched on an Air Force HC-130P
aircraft to retrieve two of the three injured airmen. The rescuers
delivered life-saving and condition stabilizing care aboard the
aircraft. A second mission evacuated the third airman. (June 28 Pope
report by 1st Lt. Cammie Quinn (Posted 6/30/10).
Remains of Airmen Identified: The remains of four airmen missing in action since the Vietnam War have been identified and returned to their families for burial with full military honors, the Defense Department announced Monday. They are: Capt. Peter H. Chapman, II, Centerburg, Ohio; TSgt. Allen J. Avery, Auburn, Mass.; TSgt. Roy D. Prater, Tiffin, Ohio; and Sgt. James H. Alley, Plantation, Fla. These four airmen were among the six aboard a HH-53C helicopter during a combat search and rescue mission on April 6, 1972, over Quang Tri province in South Vietnam. The helicopter was hit by enemy ground fire and crashed. Prater is to be buried in Columbia City, Ind., on June 19. Other burials are being scheduled individually by these airmen's families, said defense officials. Just last week, DOD announced the recovery of the remains of nine other airmen missing in action in Vietnam since 1968. (DOD release)
Names of Dead Airmen in Helo Crash: At the top of the June 11 column was an item on the death of four airmen in an HH-60G rescue helicopter crash in southeastern Afghanistan. Killed in the June 9 crash were: 1st Lt. Joel C. Gentz, 25, of Grass Lake, Mich., assigned to the 58th Rescue Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.; TSgt. Michael P. Flores, 31, of San Antonio, 48th RQS, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.; SSgt. David C. Smith, 26, of Eight Mile, Ala., 66th RQS, Nellis; and SrA. Benjamin D. White, 24, of Erwin, Tenn., 48th RQS, Davis-Monthan. Gentz and White were on their first combat deployments, while Flores and Smith had previously served in the war theater, the Las Vegas Sun reported June 10, citing Nellis officials. Three additional airmen assigned to the 66th RQS were injured in the crash. (See Arizona Daily Star report and Detroit Free Press report.) (Posted 6/15/10).
USAF Activates HC-130P Rescue Force in Afghanistan: The Air Force officially activated the 79th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, April 22, but the airmen deployed to the unit from Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., set up alert operations April 8 and flew their first alert sortie April 9. The squadron comprises some 86 airmen—aircrews, maintainers, and pararescue jumpers. The PJs can care for wounded troops in transit or airdrop from the unit's fixed-wing HC-130Ps into a combat zone to help injured personnel. The last time the HC-130 appeared in the Afghan theater, according to Lt. Col. Michael Hinsch, 79th ERQS commander, was five years ago, when they flew missions out of Pakistan and Uzbekistan. At Bastion, the HC-130 force is on 30-minute alert status. Hinsch said, "Helmand Province is the busiest spot right now in Afghanistan; being here puts us right where they need us." (Squadron activation report by SrA. Nancy Hooks; additional report by TSgt. Oshawn Jefferson) (Posted 4/29/10).
New Rescue Tanker on Tap:
Air
Combat Command officials on April 19 witnessed rollout of a new rescue
tanker at Lockheed Martin's Marietta, Ga., facility. The HC-130J, which
still must complete flight test before going to ACC later this year, is
based on the Marine Corps KC-130J baseline version and includes an
enhanced cargo handling system, a boom refueling receptacle, an
electro-optical/infrared sensor, and a combat systems operator station
on the flight deck. Maj. Gen. Thomas Andersen, ACC's director of
requirements, said the personnel recovery mission "is demanding" and the
HC-130J "will enable us to meet the expanding operational tasks that we
face today." Lockheed's vice president for C-130 programs Ross Reynolds
noted, "Yet again, we see the C-130 setting new standards for mission
flexibility." USAF has ordered 21 C-130Js
to replace older HC-130s and MC-130s. ACC expects to achieve initial
operational capability with the rescue J model in 2012. (Lockheed Martin
release) (Posted 4/22/10)
Long-Range Lifesavers: Talk about a dramatic rescue. Members of the California Air National Guard's 129th Rescue Wing at Moffett Federal Airfield came together with Marine Corps and Coast Guard units and the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Tyndall AFB, Fla., from April 1-4 to save an injured man aboard a sailboat 1,400 miles out to sea from the southern California coast. The AFRCC coordinated the rescue, which saw 129th RQW pararescuemen fly April 1 on a Coast Guard HC-130 out to the sailboat and attend to the injured man. A San Diego-bound merchant ship arrived on the scene after midnight on April 2 to pick them up. Meanwhile a task force of two 129th RQW HH-60 helicopters, one MC-130P, and one Marine KC-130 took off April 3 to meet up with the merchant ship, retrieve the patient, and bring him to a San Diego hospital. (Tyndall release) (Posted 4/8/10)
Making a Difference: Air Force rescue personnel sprang into action Wednesday to help the Afghan victims of a massive blast caused by an improvised explosive device detonating at a local market in Nahr-e Saraj in Helmand Province. These members of the 41st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter unit assigned to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, treated and triaged 30 patients upon arriving at the scene, including five who required immediate life-saving measures. The Pave Hawks then evacuated 16 of the patients, including some of the seriously injured, to local medical facilities for further care, "This was a phenomenal combined effort to accomplish this mission," said Lt. Col. Thomas Kunkel, 41st ERQS commander. He praised the coordination amongst the coalition members that made quickly aiding the Afghans civilians possible. (Kandahar report by Capt. Kristen Duncan) (Posted 4/2/10)
Unambiguous: Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said Tuesday there is "no doubt in the [Defense] Department about the validity" of the combat search and rescue mission, and the Air Force is going to buy new rescue helicopters to recapitalize its worn-out HH-60s. He made his comments during an Air Force Association-sponsored Air Force Breakfast Series presentation in Arlington, Va. Just one week ago, the Air Force issued a request for information, seeking input on suitable platforms for the new effort, which is now dubbed the "personnel recovery recapitalization" aircraft. Schwartz said the new platform would be "much less focused" on new development, as the stillborn CSAR-X was. USAF wants something "readily available" and not an elaborately redesigned machine, he noted, reiterating a theme that the service must settle for the adequate and not engage in "wishful thinking" in new acquisitions. (Posted 4/1/10)
Successful MissionsSon of CSAR-X: The Air Force has started the search for a platform to replace its HH-60G rescue helicopters by issuing a notice seeking industry input on suitable platforms. Gone is the name CSAR-X for this notional successor platform; the new name is "personnel recovery recapitalization" aircraft. The service would like to issue the first production contract in Fiscal 2012, enabling it to have four trainer assets and four combat-ready aircraft in the fleet no later than Sept. 30, 2015, according to the March 23 notice. Meeting that fielding date "at an affordable cost is critical," states the document. Among the attributes, this platform must be capable of sustaining 130 knots true air speed and have an unrefueled combat mission radius of 220 nautical miles. Earlier this month, the Air Force leadership told Congress that the new platform would likely be based on a mature off-the-shelf design. (Posted 3/29/10)
Rescue Helicopter Modernization: Plans for the Air Force to field a fleet of combat search and rescue helicopters to replace its aging HH-60G Pave Hawk fleet are beginning to solidify in the wake of last year's cancellation of the CSAR-X program. In addition to procuring 15 Army new-build UH-60s between Fiscal 2010 and Fiscal 2012 and converting them to the Pave Hawk configuration to replace the fleet's combat losses since 9/11, the Air Force has earmarked $1.5 billion in its future years defense plan from Fiscal 2011 to Fiscal 2015 to recapitalize the rescue helicopter fleet, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley told House lawmakers March 10. This amount would cover the buy of the first 36 of those new airframes. "What we have agreement on is to recapitalize those HH-60 aircraft . . . essentially with an off-the-shelf kind of capability" as opposed to a more sophisticated design, he said. (Posted 3/25/10).
Something to Dwell On:
Air Force search and rescue crews are some of the most
highly taxed airmen in the force, says
Maj. Gen. David Scott, operational capability requirements czar on
the Air Staff. "The dwell time for these young men and women is as high
as any dwell time that we have in the Air Force," Scott told House
defense appropriations overseers in late February. In fact most of them
spend as much time deployed on operational assignments as they do at
their home stations, meaning a 1:1 dwell time, he said. "For some of
them, it's even a little worse, about 0.98[:1]," he noted. Despite these
burdens, USAF rescue airmen still follow the "golden hours rule,"
getting wounded warfighters to a facility for medical treatment within
60 minutes, said Scott. "They are meeting that requirement and doing
that job superbly," he said. (Posted 3/4/10).
USAF abandons large helicopter for rescue mission, proposes buying 112 UH-60Ms
The US Air Force has decided to buy 112 Sikorsky UH-60Ms to recapitalise its ageing combat search and rescue fleet, despite a standing requirement for a larger helicopter.
Sikorsky will modify the M-model aircraft to the HH-60L configuration, replacing a fleet of HH-60G Pave Hawks that has dwindled to about 101 airframes, says Lt Gen Mark Shackelford, head of USAF acquisition.
The HH-60 represents the current standard for the USAF's SAR mission, in which its crews are tasked to fly deep into enemy territory to retrieve downed airmen. "The new H-60s will be modified to be rescue helicopters, obviously with some tempering of performance," Shackelford says.
|
|
In 2006, the USAF signed the CSAR-X contract to buy 141 Boeing HH-47s, selecting the Chinook over the Sikorsky HH-92 and Lockheed Martin/AgustaWestland HH-71. But the contract award process became a landmark example of acquisition policy.
The US Government Accountability Office sustained two protests filed by the losing bidders, and the USAF's attempts to restart the competition without heeding its recommendations failed. The service terminated the contract with Boeing in June 2009, clearing the way for a sole-source contract to Sikorsky for the smaller helicopter.
If Congress approves funding for the plan, the USAF will recapitalise its existing fleet, but fall short of plans to broaden the mission with a larger and more capable aircraft.
Under the CSAR-X programme, the USAF envisaged not only rescuing downed airmen, but also picking up small units behind enemy lines, or even ferrying cargo or passengers during natural disasters. That requirement drove it to ask bidders to provide a medium or heavy lift helicopter.
The requirement for "personnel recovery" still stands, Shackelford says, and will be addressed by the USAF in the future. But for now it is focused on ensuring that downed aircrews will not lack a helicopter force ready to retrieve them.
"Those [aircraft] are busy fliers in a war and very much sought after," he says. (Posted 3/1/10)
Angels for an Avalanche: Airmen of the 33rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, flying aboard Army CH-47 helicopters with two USAF tactical air control party airmen, were among the first on the scene following a series of avalanches in Afghanistan's Salang Pass in early February. The Guardian Angel team, comprising a combat rescue officer and several pararescuemen from Air Force Reserve Command's 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick AFB, Fla., confronted not only the sub-zero weather and additional avalanches, but more than 1,500 people, many injured and some still trapped in overturned vehicles. SMSgt. Mark Ziegler said the rescue airmen have no "formal training in crowd control and in this situation we had a learning curve of about 15 seconds." In one instance, TSgt. Blain Morgan led a team down 600 meters into a valley in waist deep snow, where they cleared a helicopter landing area to rescue people from a bus. (455th Air Expeditionary Wing report by SSgt. Richard Williams) (Posted 3/1/10).
No Worries: According to Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), the Air Force and NASA have agreed to a 50-year-lease that will allow the California Air National Guard's 129th Rescue Wing to continue using Moffett Federal Airfield as its base of operations for the next 50 years. In a Feb. 3 statement, Eshoo said, "At long last the unit known for taking care of others is being taken care of with a permanent home in the heart of Silicon Valley." She noted that this is the first long-term agreement for the wing and would afford its airmen "much deserved stability." (Also see The Mercury News report) (Posted 2/8/10)
CSAR-X Is Dead:
Just
in case everyone wasn't already clear on this, the Combat Search and
Rescue helicopter replacement project (CSAR-X)
is definitely dead and isn't coming back. In an interview, Chief of
Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said that "a successor model" of the HH-60
Pave Hawk helicopter will be the CSAR mount for the foreseeable future.
He added, it's "a pretty good airplane; it's not a perfect rescue
airplane; but it can operate at altitude; it's a resilient airframe;
it's proven." Schwartz said that recapitalizing the HH-60 with "a modern
generation descendant" will meet about "80 percent of the CSAR-X
requirement." Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who has touted
80-percent solutions as the best way for the services to meet their
needs, said the solution for joint personnel recovery is
still under review, but it would appear that may be old information.
USAF
already is buying modified Black Hawks. (Posted 2/8/10)
Improved Ramp, Tents Aid Hectic SAR Pace: USAF airmen are improving ramp conditions for combat search and rescue forces that operate out of bare base Camp Bastion in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, where the CSAR operations tempo is very high and likely to remain so as US and NATO forces increase. "Right now, with the rocks and dust, and an environment of conditions they way they are here, it takes us longer to do things and we have limitations," said Maj. Joseph Alkire, 66th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron director of operations. Expanded ramp areas will aid helicopter maintainers and aircrews. Camp upgrades also will include maintenance shelters and tents for medical flight crew equipment, parachutes, and other equipment. And aircrew members will get a tent apart from the tactical operations center to study or relax. A USAF advance medical team also is helping set up a contingency aeromedical staging area at Bastion. (CSAR upgrades report and CASF report by SSgt. Angelique Smythe (Posted 2/20/10)
Hectic SAR in Afghanistan: Since forming in October 2009, the 160 active duty and reserve airmen who currently make up the 66th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron have flown 1,103 hours, generated 1,252 sorties, aided in saving 195 lives, and logged 462 assists. The airmen—flight crews, pararescue jumpers, and mechanics—who deployed from Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and Washington and are stationed at Camp Bastion and Kandahar Airfield, have found that more than 66 percent of the evacuation calls they receive come from the Afghan National Army, National Police, or Afghan civilians. "We don't care who we have to pick up; we show the same dedication and duty," said Maj. Vic Pereira, 66th ERQS director of operations. The unit routinely gets its HH-60G Pave Hawks into the air well under its 15-minute goal, largely assisted by the unit mechanics that spend more than 50 hours per week to keep the helicopters flying. (Kandahar report by TSgt. Oshawn Jefferson) (Posted 1/20/10).
A Blistering Operations Tempo: Since Sept. 1, airmen of the 66th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron at British-run Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, have saved 253 lives and assisted another 580 patients during 620 flying missions in their HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters, according to unit officials. "Sometimes we may have five missions during a 12-hour alert period, with two to three of those being 'scrambles,' or highest priority, which means someone's life is on the line," said Capt. Mark Uberuaga, a pilot with the unit. Trained in combat search and rescue, these airmen's taskings have expanded of late to include casualty evacuation. And the rescue squadron regularly works with Army, Marine, and British rescue forces responding to missions like ridgeline extractions. Still, the unit retains the constant alert status required for the demanding CSAR mission, said Maj. Joseph Alkire, 66th ERQS detachment commander. (Camp Bastion report by TSgt. Joseph Kapinos) (Posted 12/15/09)
USAF Crew Recovers Crash Victims: Airmen and HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters assigned to the 33rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron at Bagram Airfield. Afghanistan, on Nov. 27 recovered the bodies of three civilians killed when their MI-8 helicopter crashed four days earlier in the remote mountains of eastern Afghanistan. Agence France Press reported Nov. 27 that the three victims were believed to be Ukrainian nationals flying a chartered mission for a company called Airfreight Gulf in support of Supreme Global Services Solutions, a Netherlands-based catering and logistics contractor supporting NATO's mission in Afghanistan. The helicopter presumably went down due to poor weather conditions. (Includes Bagram report by Capt. David Faggard) (Posted 12/12/09)
Boldly Beyond Voice-Only: Members of the California Air National Guard's 129th Rescue Wing at Moffett Federal Air Field near Sacramento, successfully demonstrated a prototype network-enabled situation awareness system for personnel recovery for the first time at US Joint Forces Command's Bold Quest exercise. The wing sent 23 airmen and an MC-130P rescue aircraft to the coalition-centric exercise, which took place Oct. 27 to Nov. 5 at MCAS Cherry Point, N.C. They flew eight missions with the MC-130P acting as the airborne mission commander during the simulated recovery missions. The aircraft carried a data link capability evaluated in April that allows for the integration of air and ground forces during recovery operations. So-called "digitally aided personnel recovery" goes beyond the constraints of voice-only communications that rapidly become saturated during intense rescue operations due to the volume of information being passed, according to wing officials. (Moffett report by Capt. Alyson Teeter) (Posted 11/21/09)
Have You Seen It?: The Air Force has a new recruiting commercial—one that features its combat search and rescue mission. It started airing last week in various TV markets and at select movie theaters. The first two ads in this series highlighted unmanned aircraft operations and space operations. Col. Michael Tillema, Air Force Recruiting Service Strategic Communications director and a former CSAR pilot, said of this latest commercial, "We are showcasing one of the Air Force's unique missions; I'm sure it'll resonate with young people of today who are looking to do something incredible with their lives and want to be part of a great championship team." The Daily Report saw it on TV—good one. (To see the video—not as effective as on TV—click on the highlighted "CSAR" in the second paragraph of this AFRS release) (Posted 10/12/09)
Time Saver: Rescue forces from Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., earlier this month conducted the base's first multilift HC-130 airdrop on its own flightline. HC-130 aircrew from the active duty 79th Rescue Squadron practiced with pararescue jumpers from Air Force Reserve Command's 943rd Rescue Group so that the latter could accomplish their jump training requirements. In the past, such exercises have been conducted at more remote locations, with the long transit times limiting the amount of training per flight. But use of the Davis-Monthan flightline enabled "accomplishing literally several months' worth of training" in a single day, said Lt. Col. Michael Hinsch, 79th RQS director of operations. During the Aug. 15 exercise, the PJs were able to complete seven drops from different altitudes. This flightline exercise was "very successful," said Hinsch. "We hope to complete this type of event on a regular basis," he said. (Davis-Monthan report by SSgt. Tim Beckham) (Posted 9/15/09)
One Stop Rescue: The Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Tyndall AFB, Fla., responds to multiple calls for help around the country "on any given day" as the inland search and rescue coordinator for the entire US, according to Lt. Col. Clifton Hicks, AFRCC director of operations. On July 10, for instance, the center handled three rescue operations, one each in Colorado, Utah, and Washington, working with local and state agencies that contacted the center for assistance. In many cases, the AFRCC turns to the Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol to conduct on-the-spot airborne searches. Last year alone, CAP helped save 91 people. The AFRCC, part of US Northern Command, operates 24/7 with "some of the sharpest SAR coordinators the military has to offer," said Hicks. (Tyndall report by 1st Lt. Jared Scott) (Posted 7/14/09)
Record-setting Test Pilot Dies: Robert G. Ferry, 85, a retired Air Force
lieutenant colonel who flew a record-setting nonstop solo helicopter
flight from California to Florida in 1966, died Jan. 15 of natural
causes at his home in Lake San Marcos, Calif. The Los Angeles Times
reported Feb. 9
that Ferry, born in Minneapolis, flew 90 helicopter missions during the
Korean War and then was a test pilot at Edwards AFB, Calif., from 1954
to 1960. He joined Hughes Aircraft in 1964 and worked there for 18 years
as chief test pilot. In April 1966, he made his record 2,213-mile flight
in a Hughes YOH-6A light observation helicopter from Culver City,
Calif., to Ormond Beach, Fla., in 15 hours and eight minutes, without
refueling. This record still stands, according to the Times. (Posted
2/11/09)
Airmen Aided Search for NFL Players: Among the forces participating in the search for four missing boaters, including NFL players Victor Cooper and Corey Smith, off the coast of Tampa Bay, Fla., was Air Force Reserve Command's 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick AFB, Fla. The 920th RQW on March 1 dispatched an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter around 5 p.m., with its airmen utilizing night vision goggles to scan the choppy water over some six hours. According to a Coast Guard release, an Air Force C-130 from Moody AFB, Ga., also participated in the search, which the Coast Guard finally suspended on March 3 after a three-day search spanning some 24,000 square miles. The search had revealed only Nick Schuyler, who was found clinging to the group's overturned 21-foot boat. Cooper, Smith, and the other missing boater, William Bleakley, were not found. (AFRC report by Capt. Cathleen Snow) (Posted3/9/09)
Upping the Rescue Challenge: Military rescue operations in Afghanistan have been tough and take longer than those in Iraq and the planned increase of US troop strength by 17,000 in that mountainous country will up the stakes, prompting Dutch Maj. Gen. Mart de Kruif, a commander in southern Afghanistan, to suggest there will be a "significant spike in incidents" requiring rescue forces, reports the USA Today. Air Force Col. Lee dePalo, commander of the 563rd Rescue Group at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., also told the newspaper that rescue operations in the Afghan theater often call for personnel who can fly in pitch darkness, scale peaks, and fight their way in and out. Among the forces the Air Force has lost in Afghanistan was TSgt. Jason Cunningham, a pararescue jumper who received the Air Force Cross posthumously for his valor in saving 10 troops during one rescue effort. And, part of the rescue mission also includes recovering the remains of fallen troops, which dePalo said prevents the Taliban and insurgents from displaying the bodies. "We deny that, and we provide closure to the families that I think is incredibly important," said dePalo. SSgt. Thomas Pearce, a PJ with the 38th Rescue Squadron at Moody AFB, Ga., told USA Today that one such recovery mission in 2006 took 10 hours as the rescuers had to establish defenses to fend off hostile forces. (Posted 3/27/09)
AFA Members, Congressional Staffers, Civic Leaders, and DOCA members,
one of the (dumber) ideas floating around Washington these days is to
cancel the AF's replacement rescue helicopter designated Combat Search
and Rescue (CSAR) X. The logic behind this idea is that other assets
can do the mission, and therefore, the DOD does not need specialized
assets. This logic is ably disputed with an op-ed written by former
Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen (Ret) Michael E. Ryan [see:
http://www.afa.org/EdOp/2009/edop_32609.asp]. Gen Ryan argues that
the CSAR mission area is not a "pick-up" game; AF CSAR forces have
rescued over 3000 people in CENTCOM's Area of Responsibility since 9/11;
and CSAR is a very complicated and dangerous mission for which we need a ready, trained, and dedicated force. In a recent panel discussion of
AFA's Mitchell Institute at the National Press Club, a similar question
was asked to the panel. I thought Gen (Ret) Gregory S. Martin's answer
deserves your attention. He said that there are a lot of experts on CSAR but none of them are in positions of authority. He (Martin) has
commanded CSAR forces and understands a little bit about the mission. If
you are interested in rescuing people who have been shot down, then you
need a dedicated force one that is trained, equipped, and properly
sized to be available to rescue people who become isolated behind enemy
lines. You don't know where you will have to go you may have to go
into the mouth of the tiger; you may have to shoot your way in or out
but it is the American military ethos to not leave people behind. Since
I also commanded a group with two CSAR squadrons in it if only for
just a short period of time let me add that my units saved lots of
lives "in peacetime." They were scrambled, often in the middle of the
night, to go to some faraway places. The crews, to include the PJs, were
the most professional of any I saw during my career. They were deployed
over 200 days per year and saved hundreds of civilians in their assigned
area. Further, in Iraq and Afghanistan, our present enemies don't
exactly have POW camps. They don't bother to follow the Geneva
Conventions. They torture and kill their captives. To quote Gen (Ret) T.
Michael Moseley, former Chief of Staff of the Air Force, " to protect
our people not just Airmen, but those of all Services it is a moral
imperative that we field a new system." That is why the CSAR X was and
still is the #2 acquisition priority (behind KC-X) of the Air Force.
(Posted 3/29/09)
Tackling Floods and Blizzards: Among the US military forces dispatched
to aid four states stricken by heavy flooding and snows are search and
rescue crews and two HH-60 helicopters from Minot AFB, N.D. The
Minot crews deployed first to Bismarck, N.D., where they helped break up
ice dams "strategically placing dynamite," said SrA. Timothy Merlin, a
flight engineer from Minot's 54th Helicopter Squadron. The Air Force
Huey teams next shifted to Grand Forks AFB, N.D., where they were
staging out of Hillsboro Airport for rescue missions. By being halfway
between both Fargo�the site of some of the worst Red River flooding on
record�and Grand Forks, 54th HS pilot 1st Lt. Chris Obranovich said,
"We're able to cover more ground for any potential rescue that may
occur." The Army National Guard also dispatched helicopters to the area,
but they don't have hoists like the Air Force HH-60s, and, Lt. Col.
David Lowe 54th HS commander, said that "brings a lot to the table in
terms of rescue capability." Under guidance from US Northern Command,
1st Air Force/Air Forces Northern activated the Joint Personnel Recovery
Center at Tyndall AFB, Fla., to oversee SAR operations. The Civil Air
Patrol, the Air Force Auxiliary, has been providing aerial photos to aid
emergency responders and guide decisions about critical infrastructure
and, on the ground, joined in the sandbag assembly lines in the stricken
areas. Air Force and Army�active duty and National Guard�also have
helped to fill and place sandbags and to provide security and man
traffic control points. (More in National Guard Bureau March 26
release;
NORTHCOM March 29
release; AFNORTH March 28
release; Grand
Forks March 28
release; Minot March 25
release; CAP
March 27 release)
(Posted 3/30/09)
Gates Hits Reset Button on CSAR-X: Among the victims of Defense
Secretary Robert Gates' program killing spree Monday was the Air Force's
combat search and rescue aircraft (dubbed CSAR-X), the planned
replacement for the elderly HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter. The CSAR-X
program has had until now a "troubled acquisition history," Gates said
during his press conference. He said, too, that there is a "fundamental
question of whether this important mission can only be accomplished by
yet another single-service solution, with a single-purpose aircraft."
Gates said DOD would take another look at the requirements behind the
program and develop a more "sustainable approach" on a reboot of the
effort. The relook would determine whether there is a requirement for a
"specialized" CSAR aircraft or whether it should be a "joint
capability," he said. Before Gates' announcement, the Air Force was
poised to award
the CSAR-X contract later this year, believing that it had
resolved the issues
that had derailed the original source-selection in November 2006. Gates
comments echo the criticisms of outgoing DOD weapons czar John Young,
who said last fall
that he wouldn't just "automatically rubber stamp" the CSAR-X
requirement. (For more on Young's questioning the CSAR-X requirement,
read The John Young
View.)
Practice Splashdown: Six pararescuemen from Air Force Reserve Command's
920th Rescue Wing conducted an astronaut recovery drill last month using
a mockup of NASA's next-generation Orion crew capsule in the waters off
Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla. During this "post-landing Orion recovery test,"
the airmen worked as they would during an actual splashdown, deploying
an inflatable flotation collar around the mockup to stabilize the
capsule and create a platform on which to stand as they help astronauts
exit. Air Force pararescuemen will be the first on scene after an Orion
splashdown to assist the astronauts and provide on-the-scene medial
treatment, if necessary. Besides the opportunity for the airmen to work
with the capsule in outdoor conditions, the drill allowed NASA engineers
to discover what kind of motion the astronauts could expect after
splashdown. (Cape Canaveral
report by TSgt.
Paul Flipse) (Posted 4/16/09)
Roles and Mission Shift?: Combat search and rescue/personnel recovery
has long been a core USAF mission; however, Defense Secretary Robert
Gates clearly wants to rewrite the CSAR portion of roles and missions.
In remarks April 15 at Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala., he said,
"Frankly, the notion of an unarmed helicopter going 250 miles by itself
to rescue somebody did not seem to me to be a realistic [operational
concept]," he said. (For the record: CSAR-X would have crew machine guns
and likely would operate with other air assets, as needed.) Gates added,
"What I want is a joint effort." He was responding to a question from an
Air National Guard HH-60 Pave Hawk pilot, who said: "The advocacy for
Air Force rescue seems to have been sidetracked by the CSAR acquisition
program to the detriment of our mission itself. As you know, we've
performed thousands of joint and coalition recoveries in [US Central
Command's area of responsibility] largely because the operational
flexibility of our profession transcends the risk capability of other
recovery forces and � often provides the best chance, if you will, to
recover a wounded soldier from the point of injury back to effective
trauma care within the golden hour." So, the rescue pilot asked, "Given
the dichotomy between the current issues and that objective, can you
clarify for us please what is your vision for Air Force rescue as a core
function of the Air Force and what would be a more sustainable approach
at this time?" (Read for yourself the
full exchange;
Gates' complete response is very telling.) (Posted 4/20/09)
No CSAR-X, Period: The Pentagon won't continue the CSAR-X combat search
and rescue helicopter program and has cut $144 million that had been
planned for the aircraft in Fiscal 2010. In announcing the CSAR-X
termination April 6, Defense Secretary Robert Gates
questioned the need
for a single-service, single-purpose program. The $89 million left in
the fiscal 2010 budget request will be used for "a requirements review,"
presumably after the need for the CSAR mission is settled in the
just-commenced Quadrennial Defense Review. Because the Air Force hasn't
been replacing any of its combat-loss or retired MH-60G Pave Hawks�it
has been waiting for the new aircraft�the service will start upgrading
the existing fleet and will buy two new UH-60 Black Hawks through the
Army to supplement what's left.(Posted 5/8/09)
Explaining CSAR: According to Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz,
Defense Secretary Robert Gates doesn't understand that the Air Force's
combat search and rescue mission supports the joint team. He believes
that may be a baseline misunderstanding that, coupled with asking for
too-high end platforms, led
Gates to axe the
CSAR-X helicopter replacement program. Schwartz told Senate Armed
Services Committee members last week that the service must satisfy Gates
on two points, and the first is that "we don't have people sitting
around on alert waiting to go pick up pilots." The second is that the
service can be "a little bit less ambitious about the platforms" it is
seeking to replace its elderly fleet of HH-60G Pave Hawks. In the
interim, to replace Pave Hawks lost in current operations, the Air Force
plans to purchase
two Army Black Hawks and modify them for the CSAR mission. (Posted
5/27/09)
Graveyard of Priorities: In October, 2006, the Air Force leadership
announced the service's top five procurement priorities. They were (1)
KC-X tanker; (2) CSAR-X combat search and rescue helicopter; (3)
space-based early warning and communications satellites; (4) F-35
fighter; and (5) the next-generation long-range bomber. Just 30 months
later, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has rendered all but one of these
top priorities kaput; the F-35 was preserved. Gates promises a restart
of the KC-X program he terminated last fall and will let the Air Force
buy some new versions of existing satellites, but he has terminated the
CSAR-X and Transformational Satellite (TSAT), with extreme prejudice�nobody expects them to come back in their previous form. No
one's sure when the bomber program will be reconstituted, either.
Service officials say that Air Force long-range plans and roadmaps will
have to be completely re-thought and that these will flow (it's getting
to be a hackneyed phrase) from the Quadrennial Defense Review. An Air
Force spokeswoman said the service hasn't had time to build a new top
procurement priorities list, given the pace at which program decisions
are being made. Watch this space. (Posted 5/27/09)
5K Hours in Pave Hawk: MSgt. Darren Bradley, a flight engineer, has
amassed 5,000 flying hours in the HH-60G Pave Hawk combat search and
rescue helicopter. Assigned to the 56th Rescue Squadron at RAF Lakenheath, England, Bradley has flown a total of 5,270 hours in Air
Force helicopters, starting his career in 1986 as a UH-1N Huey flight
engineer. Fellow flight engineer MSgt. Kevin Marlatt said that he knows
of no other airman to so far reach 5,000 hours in the HH-60. He said,
"The chances of someone reaching this milestone aren't just far and few
between, but they are virtually slim to non-existent." Bradley commented
at the milestone ceremony in which he had his feet painted green to add
his "Jolly Green" footprints to the ceiling in the squadron's flight
planning room, "I've been shooting f or [this milestone] my whole
career, and it was my goal to get here before I retire." Bradley's next
assignment is to instruct Pave Hawk student aircrew at Kirtland AFB,
N.M. (RAF Lakenheath
report by Capt.
Alysia Harvey) (Posted 5/27/09).
R.I.P. CSAR-X: The Air Force on Tuesday pounded another nail in the
coffin of its href="http://r.listpilot.net/c/afa/3zt0jmc/1usgo">
now-cancelled CSAR-X program, by "terminating for convenience" its
$712 million contract with Boeing from 2006 for the system development
and demonstration phase of the HH-47 rescue helicopter. "This contract
termination is a result of the CSAR-X program cancellation directed by
the under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology, and
logistics," the Air Force wrote in its brief statement, which appeared
in the June 2 list
of new Pentagon contracts. Why the need for this step, if the CSAR-X
program is already history? Well, Air Force spokeswoman Lt. Col. Karen
Platt told the Daily Report yesterday that, technically speaking, the
stop-work order from Nov. 22, 2006, had still been in effect for the
contract that Boeing received from the Air Force for HH-47 work on Nov.
9, 2006, when it won the original CSAR-X competition over Lockheed
Martin and Sikorsky. That stop-work order was never lifted as the CSAR-X
program remained bogged down in legal protests and the Air Force's
efforts to resolve them up until Defense Secretary Robert Gates' April 6
announcement that he was killing the program. But just because the
original CSAR-X contract is now officially toast doesn't mean that the
need for a new rescue platform has gone away, and the Air Force
leadership is
working to convince Defense Secretary Robert Gates that a new USAF
rescue bird would not be a single-service platform for an inherently
joint mission, as Gates maintains. (Posted 6/4/09)