Maj. Jeff Braley, an HC-130P
aircraft commander, starts the preflight checklist before taking off from a
forward deployed location supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Braley's unit
maintains HC-130 aircraft and crews on a continuous alert posture to provide
combat search and rescue coverage for all U.S. and coalition operations on the
ground and in the airspace of Afghanistan. (Photo by Staff Sgt. William Greer) |
High-res version of this
photo
by
Senior Airman Tre J. Tiernan
347th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
08/16/02 - MOODY AIR
FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFPN) -- Responding to last year's attacks on the United
States, men and women from the 71st Rescue Squadron here have been deployed in
support of Operation Enduring Freedom since November.
Alongside combat rescue
officers and pararescuemen from Moody's 38th Rescue Squadron, the unit is flying
out of a forward operating location to provide combat search and rescue coverage
for all U.S. and coalition forces on the ground and in the air over Afghanistan.
"It is critically
important that American and allied aircrews and soldiers know that we will put
our lives on the line, if necessary, to save theirs," said Maj. Darryle
Grimes, commander of the deployed unit.
While deployed, the
squadron's mission changes very little from the one they train for here.
"We take the HC-130
behind enemy lines to help get our airmen back to friendly territory so they can
fight again another day," said Lt. Col. Tom Bianco, 71st RS commander. The
HC-130 provides aerial refueling to combat search and rescue helicopters and can
airdrop pararescuemen and cargo.
The squadron assumed alert
status for combat search and rescue Dec. 5, and recently surpassed 5,500 hours
of continuous alert coverage.
"During this
deployment, we have (performed) every task in our defined unit mission
statement," Grimes said.
The squadron has conducted
low-level flights in mountainous terrain during both day and night; flown
helicopter-refueling missions in the same terrain at low altitude; performed
searches for downed aircraft; and led the efforts of multiple aircraft, ground
vehicles and sea vessels during rescue operations over land and sea.
The missions they have
participated in include the crashes of a Marine KC-130 and a Pakistani Mirage
fighter jet; visits to the region by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and
Secretary of State Colin Powell; air-dropping pararescuemen into a combat
environment to assist in the extraction of an injured Australian Special Air
Service soldier; extracting Canadian soldiers injured in the friendly-fire
incident outside Kandahar, Afghanistan; and a rescue mission following the crash
of an Air Force MC-130H Talon II.
"The HC-130 plays a key
part in the CSAR effort. Whether it is refueling helicopters in flight, landing
on dirt strips to load (survivors), searching for downed crewmembers or dropping
pararescuemen and supplies precisely, we are ready," Bianco said.
by
Staff Sgt. Marnee Carlson
919th Special Operations Wing
08/15/02 - EGLIN AIR
FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) -- When the call for help came the evening of Dec.
7, the MC-130E Combat Talon crew from the 919th Special Operations Wing here,
did not hesitate to fly through enemy territory to assist their fellow special
operators.
The 711th Special Operations
Squadron crew's actions earned them one of the Air Force Reserve's highest
honors recently, the Maj. Gen. Thomas E. Marchbanks Jr. Memorial Award. The
Reserve Officer Association bestows this award upon the Reserve's most
distinguished flight crew each year.
"This aircrew is
representative of the many reservists supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and
doing a phenomenal job on a day-to-day basis," said Brig. Gen. Thomas M.
Stogsdill, 919th SOW commander, at the ceremony. "It is people like you in
this room who work as a team to maintain and fly the aircraft to accomplish the
mission."
In the wake of Sept. 11, the
10 crewmembers were among many Duke Field reservists sent to Afghanistan to
combat terrorism.
The Talon's mission is to
transport and supply special operations troops in hostile territory. However, as
the interim gas station of the skies, it was the aircraft's in-flight refueling
capability that led to the crew's heroic feat.
MC-130 pilot Maj. Bruce (Air
Force security precludes the use of last names) and his crew were on a routine
five-hour mission when they overheard that four MH-53 Pave Low helicopters,
returning from a flight deep inside enemy borders, were unable to refuel because
their tanker's refuel hoses had been damaged.
On their own accord, the
Talon crew moved up their own refueling rendezvous with the KC-135 Stratotanker
so they could assist the four helicopters in distress. While the 711th crew made
these arrangements, the MH-53s landed 30 miles inside enemy territory to save
fuel.
As the saying goes, the best
laid plans of mice and men often go awry. The crew's KC-135 had to cancel,
forcing them to find another "tanker" of opportunity. Fortunately,
they were able to get the precious fuel.
Time was slipping away, and
the situation for the helicopter crews was deteriorating rapidly. The
helicopters had only enough fuel to lay low for an hour. With bad weather
approaching and spotting possible enemy forces, the helicopter crews prepared to
abandon two of the most fuel-starved aircraft. And if they had, the Air Force
would have had to destroy the $45 million MH-53s with an air strike to prevent
the enemy from acquiring them.
The Talon crew was
determined to help. After finally refueling, the MC-130 crew rushed into enemy
territory.
"With fuel as low as
they had, the helicopters had one chance to come up, get on the tanker, and get
their gas," Maj. Bruce said. Bruce has been a pilot with the 711th for more
than four years and is an airline pilot in civilian life.
Luck was with them. The crew
refueled the two most fuel-starved helicopters at 500 feet above ground and led
them out of enemy territory. They then headed back for the last two Pave Lows.
By the time they were refueling the last two helicopters the crew was 17 hours
into the work day, and daylight was quickly approaching.
The Talon crew managed to
get the MH-53s and their crews to safety before their cloak of darkness gave way
to the morning sun. With the MH-53s out of harm's, the Talon, which had supplied
the helicopters with so much fuel, did not have enough left to reach its home
base and had to divert to Pakistan.
Despite the events of their
long day, the aircrew said they did not do anything out of the ordinary.
"We did what we were
trained to do," said Maj. Chris, electronic warfare officer.
"There are a lot of
people doing dangerous missions over there," said Capt. Patrick, co-pilot
and an air reserve technician. "We just happened to get recognized."
However, the best
recognition for the crew was that of their fellow servicemembers.
"When the helicopter
crews called on the radio and said 'Thanks, you saved us,' that meant the world
to us because we knew they meant it," said Maj. James, electronic warfare
officer. "When you can go out and save a brother in arms, that is what it
is all about."
