15 Jul 2019

563d RQG Airmen rescue injured Mexican sailors

Airmen from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base’s 563d Rescue Group traveled more than 1700 miles, to save two critically injured Mexican fishermen onboard the Mazatun fishing vessel, July 10, 2019. The fishermen were injured when their vessel’s crane collapsed more than 1300 miles southwest of San Diego in international waters at approximately 8 p.m., July 9. Fishing nets obstructed Mazatun’s propellers during the incident making the boat unable to transit under its own power. The two severely injured fishermen were transferred to Mazatun’s sister ship, Tamara, who began making the three day journey to the nearest land, a Mexican naval outpost on Socorro Island located more than approximately 840 miles away.

18 Oct 2017

AF medics deploy to Puerto Rico, aid hurricane relief efforts

Approximately 87 members assigned to the 633rd Medical Group departed Joint Base Langley-Eustis to set up and operate a 25-bed Expeditionary Medical Support field hospital in support of hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico, Oct. 15-17, 2017.

6 Oct 2017

Airman assists veteran during medical crisis

After a long day of work, Senior Airman Keith Buckman, 923rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron aerospace propulsion technician, returned to his home to get some well-deserved rest. Later that night, at approximately 2:30 a.m., Buckman was awakened by a phone call from his friend, Mark Byrne, a 57-year-old Army veteran. “He was incoherent and I couldn’t understand what he was saying,” Buckman said. “He could have been mistaken for being extremely intoxicated, but that wasn’t like him.”