Page 20 - Desert Lightning News March 3 2017

20 March 3, 2017 Desert Lightning News www.aerotechnews.com/davis-monthanafb
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55th RQS mission - ‘That others may live’ by Senior Airman Betty R. Chevalier
355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Editor’s note: This story is part of the 55th RQS series which highlights the different Air Force specialty codes associated with the unit.
Combat search and rescue plays a major role in the mission set of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. The 55th Rescue Squadron focuses on training and executing CSAR missions by em- ploying the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter.
The mission of the 55th RQS is to rapidly de- ploy highly survivable CSAR forces to theater commanders. They employ the HH-60G and pararescue forces in hostile environments dur- ing day, night and adverse weather conditions with the ability to provide close-air support. The squadron is made up of approximately 70 personnel assigned to six career fields. It con- ducts operations outside of wartime to include disaster relief, counterdrug operations and non-combatant or medical evacuation.
“We are tasked globally and within the Unit- ed States to provide either combat search and rescue or search and rescue capabilities to com- batant commanders,” said Lt. Col. Paul Sheets, 55th RQS commander. “That mission is to go out there and bring isolated personnel from the battlefield, or even a bad environment here in the U.S., back home.”
The Air Force is the only service that pro- vides dedicated combat search and rescue as- sets to theater environments, according to Sheets. Aside from the CSAR mission, the unit has also supported six local rescue missions over the past two years.
“Our main focus is combat and that is what we train for every day, but we do provide, and we have on multiple occasions, local search
U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Cheyenne A. Powers
Members from the 55th Rescue Squadron hoist a simulated down pilot off the ground into an HH-60G Pave Hawk during a search and rescue exercise at Outlaw/Jackal military operations area in southeastern Ariz., Sept. 15, 2016. During the exercise, rescue assets remained in constant communication with the downed pilot to execute a successful extraction.
U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Betty R. Chevalier
A special mission aviator assigned to the 55th Rescue Squadron surveys the area around the aircraft before descending at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., Oct. 18, 2016. The 55th RQS assisted pararescuemen assigned to the 48th Rescue Squadron with alternate insertion/extrac- tion training.
place at night in marginal weather conditions at Pusch Ridge located north of Tucson, Arizona. Once the hikers were recovered, the 55th RQS transported them to a nearby soccer field where care was transferred to local agencies.
”Few units execute this critical mission, and we take this responsibility of combat search and rescue very seriously,” Sheets said. “Every day we train or execute the mission of recov- ering personnel where no one else can go. We train in ways to ensure we are the best at this mission and we will not fail.”
U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Chris Drzazgowski
An HH-60G Pave Hawk from the 55th Rescue Squadron orbits a simulated crash site during a mass casualty exercise at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., Dec. 8, 2016. Pararescuemen from the 48th Res- cue Squadron were air dropped into the crash site where they treated and evacuated survivors.
and rescue support,” Sheets said. “We only get called if there is a very unique mission that re- quires our specialty.”
On July 18, 2016, the 55th RQS recovered six hikers in Coconino National Forest by request of the Coconino County Sherriff. After recov- ering all six hikers using a 120-foot hoist, they transported the individuals to the incident com- mand post where they were taken to a hospi- tal. The Pima County Sherriff Department also requested the squadron’s assistance on Sept. 7, 2016. The rescue of two hikers, one injured, took