56th RQS trains to rescue in contested environments

by Staff Sgt. Emerson Nuñez
48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

5/7/2014 - ROYAL AIR FORCE LEEMING, England -- "These things we do, that others may live." This phrase is always in the back of a rescue Airman's mind.

For them to be certain they're trained for the mission when the call comes, they train how they fight.

The 56th Rescue Squadron spent a week at Royal Air Force Leeming training to survive, deny and defeat radar threats, to accomplish the search-and-recovery mission.

"The nature of our job is to rescue people in any type of scenario," said 1st Lt. Ryan Martelly, 56th RQS pilot. "We have to be ready to fly into any scenario, bad weather, radar threats or other people shooting at us. I think it's crucial that we have training like this since we have to be ready for any situation that may occur."

This training is a rare but critical time to gain valuable experience outside of a computer simulation.

"Experience is the best teacher that we have," said Maj. Daran Gaus, 56th RQS chief of weapons and tactics. "So, when the timeline is compressed and the minutes matter, this is going to give our aircrew the tools that they need to be successful despite the adversary."

This training is not just for pilots; it also sharpens the expeditionary skills of the maintenance and support Airmen.

"None of this training happens in a vacuum," Gaus said. "Not only are the aircrew exercising their ability to go out and fight these threats, but the maintainers are also working on their ability to keep putting aircraft up from a geographically-separated location.

"Additionally, the entire squadron, and all the support functions that come along with it, come here, and they are really what makes this training happen for us," Gaus added.

This training is conducted annually with the help of RAFs Leeming and Spadeadam and receives positive feedback from its participants.

"I would say this is the most exciting and worthwhile training I've done with the HH-60 because it was so applicable, dynamic and such a rare opportunity," Martelly said.