Rescue wing saves 122 people since June 1

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Eric Schloeffel
  • 347th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFPN) --  The Airmen of the 347th Rescue Wing saved 66 people from potentially fatal injuries and another 56 from critical injuries in Afghanistan since June 1.

These numbers not only show deployed Moody Airmen are accomplishing the mission, but that lives are being saved, said Col. Eric Kivi, 347th Operations Group commander. 

"For those 122 people and families, this means we've saved life," the colonel said. "For the units those (servicemembers) are assigned to, combat power is saved. Our Airmen perform brilliantly in theater, and I think you can see that in these results."

The 347th OG and 563rd Rescue Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.,  deploy Airmen to the Horn of Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan. These Airmen face a wide variety of situations and are not just bound to Air Force-related missions, Colonel Kivi said.

"What we do in theater has a big impact on the joint community," he said. "Our primary mission is combat search and rescue, which is geared toward recovering downed crewmembers. But we support the Army, Marines and Navy, and it's not just injured aircrew. We support anyone who gets injured in theater, including coalition members in the Afghan army, Iraqi army and civilians from those countries as well."

The 347th OG mix of operations in the deployed environment runs the gamut of high-intensity search and rescue, said Colonel Kivi.

"This includes anything from saving the life of a downed helicopter pilot to transporting people with scorpion bites to medical safety," he said.

Included are medical evacuation missions, which were traditionally Army-led. These missions consist of transporting injured people from the battlefield to medical treatment facilities or flying emergency medical supplies to wherever needed, said Lt. Col. Lee Pera, 347th OG deputy commander.

"Though our forces primarily train for (combat search and rescue), the skills our Airmen developed transfer to many other mission areas," Colonel Pera said. "In Afghanistan, our Airmen are providing outstanding medevac support to U.S. and coalition forces on a daily basis."

Deployed pararescuemen involved in these missions rely on their intensive training to deal with the assortment of operations.

"They are trained in military freefall, airborne operations, scuba and a (multitude of other areas)," said Colonel Kivi. "They are very adept at entering an unsecured environment, rescuing patients and preparing them for transport. PJs also have extensive medical training."

Though PJs often receive much of the attention for the 347th OG's deployed efforts, the 41st and 71st Rescue Squadrons are also credited for their behind-the-scenes role in saving lives, Colonel Kivi said.

Operating HH-60G Pave Hawks, the 41st Rescue Squadron serves as the main mode of transportation for PJs. Aircrew onboard often assist in the rescue mission by using night vision goggles to search for downed crewmembers, and providing assistance with communication and defensive devices.

"The primary means of accomplishing our mission is under the cover of darkness, and our crewmembers are very proficient at using night vision goggles," Colonel Kivi said.

The other piece of the 347th OG puzzle, the 71st RQS, operates HC-130P/Ns, which refuel HH-60s during long missions, provide cargo capabilities and offer PJs an additional mission platform.

"They also have specialized equipment and training to allow them to operate in rapidly changing environments to locate and pick up downed crew members," the colonel said.

Colonel Kivi credits the Airmen at Moody who support the operations from home.

"We couldn't do the mission if it wasn't for the support we receive from ... home station."

(Courtesy Air Combat Command News Service)