Rescue wing reservists deploy, receive 'National' sendoff

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Paul Flipse
  • 920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla, (AFNS) --  Reservists from the 920th Rescue Wing departed here Feb. 20 on the first-leg of a 14-month deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Before they left, they received a visit on the flightline by John Patterson, a pitcher for the Washington Nationals baseball team. The Nationals play their spring-training games at nearby Space Coast Stadium.

Mr. Patterson gave out hats and baseballs, signed autographs, visited with family members and personally thanked each Airman for his or her service.

After saying their goodbyes, the reservists boarded one of the unit's HC-130 Hercules aircraft en route to Arizona, where they will join helicopter pilots, aircrew and support people from the wing's 943rd Rescue Group at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.

The combined group of reservists then will head for Afghanistan for the first half of a mobilization to support the U.S. Army medical evacuation operation.

Later this year, the 920th RQW will send another group of reservists from here to pick up the second half of the mission.

The wing's primary wartime job is combat search and rescue. CSAR missions involve locating and rescuing servicemembers isolated in combat, such as pilots shot down behind enemy lines.

The medevac deployment, called an "in-lieu-of" mission, marks the first time the 920th RQW will undertake the role for the Army. (Courtesy of Air Force Reserve Command News Service)

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