THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE

[OLDNAVYMCPO]

Throughout my military career, I often got involved with other services. Marines of course, that's a given, but frequently with Army units, particularly Special Forces and occasionally Air Force units. One of my favorite groups of individuals was the PJs of the Air Force 66th Rescue Squadron. Their home base is Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. As a worldwide combat rescue squadron, they have suffered a grueling deployment schedule to Southwest Asia which has resulted in a number of aviation accidents. In 1998, a dozen airmen were killed in a freak night ops crash. I attended their memorial ceremony. Four aircrew died on June 9, 2010 when their Pave Hawk was shot down during a rescue op in Afghanistan. A fifth died from wounds a month later.

The unit is a rapid deployable combat search and rescue unit operating the HH-60 Pave Hawk Aircraft. The PJs are the combat paramedic qualified parachutist. They are frequently cross trained in many other Spec Op specialties.

 

[bigwheelzip]

The first responders of the world are an amazing breed. The training and equipment get you there, but first your heart say's I'm ready to give all that I am to help a stranger. There's no higher calling.

 

[vigil617]

Pararescueman Tech Sgt. Arden "Rick" Smith was part of the New York Air National Guard helicopter crew sent out in the 1991 northeaster later known as "The Perfect Storm" to rescue the crew of a stricken sailboat. As has become well known since the incident and the movie of the same name, the Pave Hawk ran low on fuel due to fighting 100 mph winds and had to ditch at night in the North Atlantic in mountainous seas. The other four members miraculously survived and were rescued by the Coast Guard Cutter Tamaroa, but Sgt. Smith may not have survived his 40-foot drop into the ocean before the aircraft ditched with only its pilot on board. His body was never recovered.

"These things we do, that others may live."

 

[Texas Star]

I was watching PJ videos on YouTube this week, and those on Spec Op duties have received five Air Force Crosses and a number of Silver Stars for combat valor.

 

[richardw]

During my years in the Corps I did not know AF Pararescue R.E.M.'s existed until in my last two years I was assigned to develop training methods for specialty teams. We got word from Sec Def through channels to develop Marine Air Crew Rescue Teams. The idea wa that since the Navy was chauffeing Marines around the globe the Marines should be capable,of rescuing downed pilots and air crew.


During that period met with PJ non coms to learn what and how they did their jobs. We modeled on their SOP, except we did not include parachute ingress as they did. Those guys were amazing. It was like they were part Army Ranger and Part Navy Corpsman.

But the amazing and maybe sad thing is that so few Americans even know they exist. They are brave warriors dedicated to saving lives and only taking lives when the need to to save their own, .

 

[rwsmith]

Thanks....

Thanks for putting this unit into the light. We take take their work for granted.

 

[Kanewpadle]

Knew three guys that tried to become PJ's. One succeeded. The requirements and training are tough indeed.

Air Force Combat Controllers are a tough breed too.

 

[Chuck24]

I vaguely remember a movie fron the early 50s starring Yul Brenner called Flight from Ashia about the air rescue service.

 

[GaryS]

PJs don't get 1/10 the credit they deserve. There were two assigned to the Bin Laden raid, but only the SEALS get mentioned.
In addition to being combat trained, every PJ is also a paramedic. They provide the medical support for many combat missions by special operations teams from various branches.

Many people don't know that it was a combination of PJs and SEALS that were in the water for the Apollo ocean landings.

 

[Texas Star]

I vaguely remember a movie fron the early 50s starring Yul Brenner called Flight from Ashia about the air rescue service.

It's changed a lot since then. And some PJ's are cross-trained as Combat Controllers.