PJs airlift those devastated by Hurricane Katrina

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Tim Bazar
  • 347th Expeditionary Rescue Group Public Affairs
JACKSON, Miss. (AFPN) --  Nearly 3,000 people have been airlifted out of the New Orleans area and taken to local care centers in the arms of 374th Expeditionary Rescue Group pararescuemen.

Pararescuemen from three rescue squadrons nationwide are deployed here participating in what has been described as the largest search-and-rescue mission in the history of the Air Force.

Their role in the search-and-rescue mission is crucial because some victims are not aware of the serious condition in their own city and do not want to leave, saying they can just "ride out the storm," said Senior Airman Jack Earnshaw, a 347th ERG pararescueman deployed from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

"What they don't know are the dangers of staying behind," Airman Earnshaw said. "After we explained the dangers of the pollutants in the water and the overall condition of the city, several families finally got on the helo. They don't know how bad it is out there because they've been without TV or radio for several days."

Just hours after Hurricane Katrina slammed the Gulf Coast, crews worked around the clock to airlift victims to safety, taking several hundred a day to local medical facilities and care centers.

"Luckily, the majority of people ... have only been a little dehydrated," said Lt. Col. Matthew Shozda, the 347th ERG pararescue commanding officer from Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. "But it's very hard to determine what state people are in by looking at them."

A week into the mission, the number of victims dropped, allowing crews to switch from 24-hour operations to daylight missions.

"Spending eight or nine hours in the air totally wipes you out at the end of the day," Airman Earnshaw said. "And when you think about all the obstacles we're taking on with each mission, it really gets hard."

Pararescuemen are encountering scenarios much different than those in Southwest Asia, he said. Crews are dodging power lines, trees and confined spaces to get to victims and extract them safely.

"The search-and-rescue possibilities are endless," Airman Earnshaw said. "I've been taken out three times by flying debris alone."

But they would not have it any other way.

"There's nothing more rewarding than giving back to our own country," Airman Earnshaw said. "You really feel like you're giving back and serving Americans."