![]() Iraq - Lt Michael Schulz, Cwl Ty Powell, Sgt. Run by the US Army, DVIDS receives via satellite the combat camera and public affairs videotape of all operations involving the US armed forces with Ltc William Beckman, Ssgt Amy Forsythe. At the Atlanta, Georgia headquarters of the Digital Video and Imagery Distribution System and gets the scoop on the fight against the insurgency. They're also trained combat medics and certified emergency medical technician paramedics.The Gunny talks via satellite one-on-one with troops in Iraq. Pararescuemen are certified scuba divers and skilled in surface water operations, both scuba and amphibious. Penetrating hostile areas to rescue and recover survivors is an arduous and strenuous task that approximately 430 pararescuemen are trained to accomplish. "They bust their tails day in and day out ensuring these aircraft are mission-ready. "I have to give kudos to the maintainers here," he said. Sergeant McKenzie credits the success of each mission to the support his team receives before it leaves the ground. The team completed a successful training mission and returned to its base. Once there, the helicopter circles around and tests its hoist by recovering the pararescuemen. This is when the helicopter hovers at approximately 50 to 100 feet off the ground and drops a rope allowing the pararescuemen to repel downward. ![]() The repelling and hoisting rehearsal began. The pilots' practice ended and they preceded to pickup the pararescuemen from their mission. But, due to the speed and momentum of the helicopter, the passenger is safely planted and cemented in the belly of the bird. On some occasions, the chopper would position squarely perpendicular to the ground with the side doors open.įor most passengers, it would feel like they could literally fall out. They performed figure eights where the helicopter would bank from side to side. "We're not an attack or assault force, but we do have the right to defend ourselves and our patients." William Hardin, a 64th ERQS pararescueman. "We're different from other rescue forces," said Tech. After monitoring coordinates, and scouting for enemy, the aircrew hovered over the site while securing a simulated downed aircrew member. The pararescuemen exited the aircraft and the aircrew took off to perform evasive maneuvers. The first leg of the mission was uneventful. With nothing to illuminate their path but the glow of the moon and stars, aircrew and pararescuemen examined the terrain for enemy combatants with their night vision goggles. "It's also different if the scene is secure, if there's a type of crash below versus getting shot at or diving in a canal to recover a body - it's just so many different missions we can do over here," the 25 year old said. There are so many inputs on how we do our jobs and the limits to what we can do and care for," he added. "There are so many factors that come into play, whether it's the terrain we're landing on, the enemy we're against or the air assets. When pararescuemen are alerted, their mission is situational dependent, Sergeant McKenzie said. With a pararescueman dangling from the opened side doors, the HH-60 took off carrying the team that performed its rehearsal mission in black-out night conditions. While two well-armed and equipped pararescuemen prepared their gear, the pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer and gunner performed their preflight checks on their familiar Pave Hawk for this particular CSAR rehearsal mission. You accomplish one mission rehearsal after another and work as a team to get the job done."Īfter an intelligence briefing, the team gathered its gear and loaded it into an HH-60G Pave Hawk. "We always train, train and then train some more," the Cape Cod, Mass., Airman said. Sergeant McKenzie stressed the importance of training in his line of work. Jon McKenzie, a pararescueman assigned to the 64th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron at Balad Air Base, Iraq. "Our goal is to get everyone on my team and everyone we're trying to rescue back home safe and alive," said Staff Sgt. 24 in support of the air assets for the Combined Forces Air Component commander. This team of highly trained pararescuemen performed a combat search and rescue training mission Feb. Pararescue jumpers, or PJs, make up an elite corps of pararescuemen responsible for combat search and rescue missions. BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFNEWS) - "That others may live" is the motto for the Air Force's pararescueman.
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