Hi everyone,
For my first blog posting, I would like to address the topic
of pararescue. This dangerous and thrilling field of work specializes in rescue
of military personnel (and other injured persons, especially in the case of
natural and international disasters) from difficult and dangerous situations. It
is the only branch of the U.S. Department of Defense trained exclusively for this
purpose. Their motto is “That Others May Live” and their distinguishing uniform
characteristic is a maroon beret. Highly
elite in comparison to other special forces branches, which contain thousands
of members, pararescue only boasts 400 members, 200 of which are kept on active
duty.
Para-jumpers, or PJs, to give them their usual nickname, are
not only EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians), but also paramedics. To give an
idea of the skill difference between the two titles, EMT training is about 120 to
150 hours; a paramedic, after having mastered these basic skills, goes on to
train for 1200 to 1800 hours. To the extensive medical knowledge involved in
these two job titles is added the grueling and intensive physical training of a
Navy SEAL or a Green Beret, thus creating the para-jumper or pararescueman.
PJs, while trained to enter combat situations and rescue
military personnel using a variety of approaches – land, air, sea – are usually
associated with parachutes, planes and helicopters. One of the stages of their
training is carried out at the U.S. Army Airborne School in Fort Benning,
Georgia. After this, they will go on to accomplish further parachute training
at the U.S Army Military Free Fall Parachutist School in Fort Bragg, North
Carolina. From wind tunnels to actual aircraft, PJs get plenty of aerial
exposure!
The first pararescue mission in history took place in 1943,
on the China-Burma border, with medical corpsmen evacuating a downed aircrew.
PJs also saw plenty of action during the Vietnam War, the Gemini space missions
in the 1960s, and the 1989 San Francisco earthquake. More recently, in 2013,
the Mackay Trophy for Most Meritorious Flight of the Year was awarded to Pedro
83 Flight, a team comprised of the crews of two HH-60G Pavehawk helicopters
from the 41st Rescue Squadron of Moody Air Force Base in Georgia.
This flight team successfully transported a pararescue unit into the mountains
of Afghanistan to evacuate injured Afghan troops. The Mackay Trophy was the
National Aeronautic Association’s way of saying ‘job well done’ to Pedro 83
Flight.
I hope you have enjoyed learning about this highly respected
key branch of the U.S. Air Force and seeing how the invention of Orville and
Wilbur Wright has, barely a hundred years later, already been used by generations
of courageous airmen to save so many lives!
Sources
“Pararescuemen Overview.” Air Force News. Web.
January 16, 2014. http://www.military.com/military-fitness/air-force-special-operations/usaf-pararescue-jumper-fact-sheet
“What’s the Difference Between an EMT and a Paramedic?” Center
for Prehospital Care. Web. January 16, 2014. https://www.cpc.mednet.ucla.edu/node/27
“Pararescue Team Receives Prestigious Award.” United
States Air Force. Web. November 14, 2013. January 16, 2014. http://www.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/tabid/223/Article/467522/pararescue-team-receives-prestigious-honor.aspx
“Pararescue Apprentice.” Popular Military. Web. January
16, 2014. http://www.popularmilitary.com/jobs/pararescue.htm
Very interesting! My son is a paramedic and firefighter. He is also a part of the dive team that does underwater recovery work. I can't imagine adding all of the extra Pararescue training to what he already does. Thanks for educating us!
ReplyDeleteInteresting and well written introduction to the Pararescuemen. If you are interested in more, there is a highway in Southern Ohio named after a fallen PJ. Your brother knows more. :-)
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