MEDIA CONTEST: RQW vital to GWOT mission, saves lives

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ACC MEDIA CONTEST --  While much of the 347th Rescue Wing's operational mission often goes unseen, the hard work and dedication of the Air Force's only active-duty combat search and rescue wing is helping ensure America's finest return home safely.

The 347th Rescue Wing's efforts saved 66 people from potentially fatal injuries and another 56 from critical injuries since June 1 in Afghanistan.
Such impressive numbers not only show deployed Moody Airmen accomplishing the mission, but that human lives are being saved, said Col. Eric Kivi, 347th Operations Group commander.

"For those 122 people and families, this means we've saved life," said the colonel. "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., currently deploys Airmen to three separate areas: the Horn of Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan. These deployed Airmen often face a wide variety of situations and are not just bound to Air Force-related missions, said Colonel Kivi.

"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 is currently running a mixture of operations in the deployed environment that runs the gamut of very 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 in this "gamut" 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 CSAR, the skills our Airmen developed transfer to many other mission areas," said Colonel Pera. " In Afghanistan, our Airmen are providing outstanding medevac support to U.S. and coalition forces on a daily basis. Our business is saving lives, and in Operation Enduring Freedom our Airmen continue the tradition of CSAR medevac to support whomever needs our help."

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

"Our pararescuemen have unique capabilities in the U.S. military," said Colonel Kivi. "They are trained in military freefall, airborne operations, scuba and a (multitude of other areas). They are very adept to entering an unsecured environment, rescuing patients and preparing them for transport. Pararescuemen also have extensive medical training to treat their patients."

Though PJs often receive much of the attention for the 347th OG's deployed efforts, the 41st and 71st RQS deserve just as much credit for their behind-the-scenes role in saving lives, said Colonel Kivi.

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

"The HH-60G is a very capable recovery helicopter," said Colonel Kivi. "The primary means of accomplishing our mission is under the cover of darkness, and our crewmembers are very proficient at using night vision goggles.

"We also perform escort duty using our helicopters to provide defense fire to help other helicopters," the colonel added. "Joint partners really prefer to have our combat search and rescue helicopters in theater."

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

"The 71st Rescue Squadron provides a very specialized capability by refueling helicopters in air, and dropping pararescuemen and their equipment," said Colonel Kivi. "They also have specialized equipment and training to allow them to operate in rapidly changing environments to locate and pickup downed crew members."

With all of the strides the 347th OG is making in the deployed environment, none of it could be possible without a solid support system from the home station, said Colonel Kivi.

"We couldn't do the mission if it wasn't for all the support we receive from Moody Airmen at the home station," he said. "We don't normally deploy with Airmen from our support groups, but we need their support back home. From the military personnel flight to the 347th Communications, Logistics and Readiness and Services Squadrons, they are all essential in enabling us to perform our mission.

The 347th OG also receives great support from maintainers who deploy with them, said Colonel Kivi.

"When I think of deploying, there is no distinction between the 347th Operations Group and Maintenance Group," he said.

As there are no signs on the horizon of slower operations tempo, the 347th OG with Moody's support behind it, is prepared to face whatever challenges lie ahead, said Colonel Kivi.

"We've saved a lot of people and fill an important niche in the U.S. military," he said. "If war fighters in theater get in trouble, they know that we'll be there to do whatever it takes to pick them out of the fight."