Rotary-wing asset saves lives Published April 25, 2003 By Army Staff Sgt. Christina Bhatti 11th Public Affairs Detachment OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM (AFPN) -- Saving lives in a combat environment means taking risks. It means going where no one else can to get the person to medical help. The 41st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron airmen from Moody Air Force Base, Ga., do just that. Their mission, it takes 12 airmen -- six each in two HH-60 Pave Hawk Helicopters. Each crew consists of a pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer, systems specialist and two pararescuers. “We are different from any other kind of rescue (unit),” said 1st Lt. B.J. O’Neil, a Pave Hawk pilot with the 41st ERQS. “We can go almost anywhere, and our helicopters make that possible.”Both the Army and the Air Force have the HH-60 Pave Hawks, but what makes the Air Force aircraft unique is what is on board. Each has an upgraded communications and navigation suite.Since the unit’s arrival about a year and a half ago, they have completed approximately 60 rescues. Most of the rescues were Afghans and the members of the Afghan militia force. “It fosters good relations,” said O’Neil. “They fight for us and with us. It’s our responsibility to help them when they need it.”The unit, which covered all of northern Afghanistan and Manas, moved to Kandahar Airfield to join the 71st ERQS, which is also deployed from Moody AFB.“It’s good and bad that we had nothing to do,” said O’Neil. “It meant that no one was in need of immediate medical attention, but it also meant that we had nothing to do and very little (chance of) training.”Karshi-Kanabad, Uzbeckistan, is the rest spot for those at Kandahar. The 71st ERQS is responsible for the southern part of Afghanistan and is very busy, said Lt. Col. Tom Greetan, from the 41st ERQS.Another reason for the consolidation is the shortage of aircraft. Each location had three helicopters -- two for missions and one in reserve in case something was wrong with one of the other two. One helicopter crashed during a rescue March 23 that killed six airmen.“It is such a tragedy,” said O’Neil, who was flying the second helicopter during the March 23 mission. “We are a real family; we live, work and train together. It affected everyone.”It was the help of “family” that got them through. After the incident, the rest of that night’s crew flew to Bagram Air Base. “The Air Force squadron on Bagram helped us tremendously. They gave us everything we needed, and the rest of the base honored those who were killed and just showed us great support through that. Everyone in (our) unit really appreciated it,” O’Neil said.Though everyone in the unit knows that this is a risk, it does not stop them from doing a dangerous job.“We are trained to pick up and work in a hot (zone),” said Greetan. O’Neil said the danger of the job is frightening, but the end results are what keep him flying.“Saving a life is rewarding,” he said. “It makes it all worthwhile.”