Reserve rescue units converge for multifaceted training

by Staff Sgt. N. Daniel Delgado
304th Rescue Squadron Public Affairs

7/30/2013 - PORTLAND, Ore.  -- Reserve Airmen from the 304th Rescue Squadron at Portland International Airport, Ore.; the 943rd Rescue Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.; and the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., conducted rescue training operations July 27, 2013 in the Portland, Ore., area. The 304th RQS and 943rd Rescue Group are geographically separated units of the 920th RQW, which is Air Force Reserve Command's only combat search-and-rescue wing.

Due to the diverse nature of the rescue mission, these Reservists are required to maintain operational readiness for any environment in the world--from mountain tops to ocean depths, the scorching desert to frozen terrain--as well as a broad range of different aerial platforms. This diverse readiness requirement poses a challenge, but because the 920th RQW is dispersed among three different regions, training together offers the ideal solution.

"We have the rescue triad right now, so it's a big deal," said Capt. Brent Watts, an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter pilot with the 943rd Rescue Group. "The tankers provide us fuel, they jump PJs (pararescuemen), and then we'll swoop in and pick them up. So it's nice to see all assets working together, to see the whole big picture and see how the complete CSAR (combat search-and-rescue) mission ties together."

During the training, a 920th RQW HC-130P/N King aircraft conducted high-altitude airdrop missions with 304th pararescuemen over Beaver Oaks, Ore., while two Pave Hawk helicopters conducted water operations in the Columbia River, near Rooster Rock State Park, Ore. Maj. John Graver, 304th RQS director of operations, was one of the Guardian Angels conducting water training.

"We have a couple currency items that are related to flying on helicopters: methods that you can get on and off a helicopter--other than just walking on them--using ropes, cables, ladders, et cetera," Graver explained.

He said the team set up a rescue scenario and pushed a Zodiac boat out of the helicopter. The boat was tethered with a belay line so the crew could control its descent into the river.

"The team then got to the boat, inflated it, and then motored over, picked up the survivor, and linked up with another boat to do a trans-load from a slower boat to a bigger boat equipped with a heater, monitors, and other medical gear," Graver said.

After the water training was complete, the HC-130 and HH-60s met near Mount Hood, Ore., to practice aerial refueling maneuvers near mountainous terrain. Training together is essential, as the geographically separated units have varied assets and capabilities.

"Training here gives a total encompassment of our training missions and our currencies that we have to maintain," said Command Chief Master Sergeant Timothy M. Bianchi, 920th RQW. "We basically got a lot of the 304th set with one shot, just in one day's mission. We greened-up Davis-Monthan with the aerial refueling, we greened up Patrick with the mountainous terrain flying, and we greened-up our GAs from the 304th."

Along with operating in a diverse range of environments, the rescue mission also employs a diverse range of weapon systems. Bianchi said the 920th RQW is unique because they have three weapon systems: the HH-60, the C-130, and the Guardian Angels, which includes PJs, combat rescue officers, and survival, evasion, resistance and escape specialists.

"We're one of the very few units that have three weapon systems, and for all three of them to come together to train is paramount to what we do, which is rescue," Bianchi said.

The HC-130 P/N King is the only dedicated fixed-wing personnel recovery platform in the Air Force inventory and can be tasked for humanitarian assistance operations, disaster response, security cooperation/aviation advisory, emergency aeromedical evacuation, casualty evacuation and noncombatant evacuation operations. The HH-60G Pave Hawk's primary mission is to conduct day or night personnel recovery operations into hostile environments to recover isolated personnel during war. The mission of the Guardian Angels is to rescue, recover, and return American or Allied forces in times of danger or extreme duress. Together, these weapon systems can provide search-and-rescue capabilities anywhere in the world.

But this coalescence takes months of planning to execute successfully. Graver said the 304th RQS overcomes the challenges of being a geographically-separated unit by forecasting a plan for their mission-ready currencies throughout the year. When Reservists come to each monthly unit training assembly, they must spend their time wisely by doing relevant, necessary training to keep them mission-ready. He said having a good schedule far in advance is key.

All this training, from the water operations to the mountainous flying, translates directly to the skills needed downrange when these Airmen deploy.

"We have a really good working relationship with those other rescue squadrons," Graver said "In the end, the training allows us to be proficient in our skills to save lives and aid the injured."