Air Force Reserve rescuers change role, still save lives

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PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) --  Air Force reservists from the 920th Rescue Wing are taking on a different kind of role and saving lives in Afghanistan.

Since arriving in February, they have saved 132 people flying U.S. Army medical evacuations, said Maj. Kevin Merrill, director of operations for the 305th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron in Afghanistan.

The reservists' main job in war is combat search and rescue. On CSAR missions, they locate and rescue service people isolated in combat, such as pilots shot down behind enemy lines.

However, flying medical evacuations in Afghanistan is an "in-lieu-of" mission. It's the first time this Air Force Reserve Command unit has undertaken the role for the Army.

Medevac "saves" involve people who would lose their life, a limb or eyesight if they were not immediately evacuated.

The reservists also recorded 84 assists -- evacuations where life, limb or eyesight were not in immediate danger.

Some wing reservists are wrapping up their part of the 14-month mission in Afghanistan. Others are preparing to take their place.

A group of reservists from Patrick AFB left July 14 for two weeks of pre-deployment training at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. They flew from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on a C-5 Galaxy.

The Galaxy, which can carry up to 270,000 pounds of cargo, also carried two of the unit's HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters to the desert base.

The cadre of helicopter pilots, crewmembers, maintainers and intelligence specialists went to Davis-Monthan AFB to get used to the conditions and terrain in Afghanistan. The helicopter crews will perform high-altitude training, while maintenance and intelligence troops will practice their respective fields in a support role.

"We need to get our folks training in an environment that emulates where they will be deployed," said Col. Jeffrey Macrander, 920th Operations Group commander.

Higher altitudes and uneven terrain make flying helicopters in the mountains significantly more dangerous than flying at sea level, Colonel Macrander said. Pilots need to pay attention to details like weather, winds, climb capability (or lack thereof) and calculating the power required to hover.

One reason Airmen from the 920th RW have been able to save so many people in Afghanistan is the skill of maintenance crews working on the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters from the wing's 943rd Rescue Group at Davis-Monthan AFB.

The Air Force's average fully mission capable rate for aircraft is 77 percent. Since arriving in Afghanistan, the reservists have maintained a 100 percent FMC rate despite flying 482 sorties, logging more than 425 flying hours.

"Every time they called us for a mission, we launched 100 percent of the time," said Maj. Keith Belhumeur, commander of the deployed maintainers.

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