United States Air Force Pararescue
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United States Air Force Pararescue |
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|---|---|
 Pararescue Jumpers emblem |
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| Lineup | March 1946 |
| Country |
 United States
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| Armed forces | United States Armed Forces |
| Armed forces | United States Air Force |
| Type | Special unit |
| Nickname | Pararescuemen, Pararescue Jumpers (PJs) |
| motto | That others may live |
The United States Air Force Pararescue ( German about Luftwaffenfallschirmrettung ), Pararescuemen (job description (Air Force Specialty Code) 1T2X1) or Pararescue Jumpers ( PJs , German about rescue parachutist ), are soldiers of the United States Air Force who are trained as parachutists , especially in the Work in the context of CSAR or SAR operations in the recovery and rescue of wounded members of the American armed forces. In addition, they support NASA missions in the repatriation of astronauts after water landings. They can be assigned to special forces from other branches of the armed forces during individual operations if necessary. Among the 22 carriers of the Air Force Cross are 12 members of the Pararescuemen.
They are subordinate to the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and the Air Combat Command (ACC).
history
As early as 1922, the armed forces of the United States recognized the need for specially trained soldiers to track down emergency aircraft crews behind enemy lines and return them to their own troops. That same year, Colonel Albert E. Truby, a doctor and member of the Army Medical Corps, foresaw that one day airplane ambulances would be used to bring medically trained personnel to crash sites and air crews to medical facilities for further treatment. However, it took another two decades until the technology for this was available and the need arose to store these capabilities in the form of a military unit, both personally and materially.
Developments in the field of technology supported this development. The two fire jumpers of the United States Forest Service , Earl Cooney and Rufus Robinson, showed in 1940 that parachutists can be set down very precisely in an operation area with the help of controllable parachutes. The equipment and techniques of these fire jumpers differed significantly from those of conventional airborne units of the United States Army . That same year, Captain Leo P. Martin received his first para-doctor training at the U.S. Forest Service Smokejumper Parachute Training Center in Seeley Lake , Montana .
Second World War
During the first few months after the United States entered World War II , there was still little need for air rescue. However, this changed with a change in strategy by the US armed forces to bombing in the depths of the area controlled by the Axis powers.
The search and rescue of crashed aircraft crews in the United States was primarily the responsibility of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), which in turn was subordinate to the United States Army Air Corps . Basically, the CAP sent ground teams to crash sites that had previously been cleared up from the air. In some cases, however, they also landed near these crash sites or experimented with parachute rescue teams.
With Canada's entry into World War II, former flying ace Wop May was hired to train rescue units and took command of the No 2 Air Observer School in Edmonton , Alberta . From Edmonton, Douglas A-20 - Martin B-26 - and North American B-25 bombers took off under the loan and lease law towards the Soviet Union . In the event of a crash of these machines, often due to mechanical or navigational problems, the Air Observer School provided support in locating the crashed aircraft, but was unable to do much to rescue the affected aircraft crews.
At the beginning of 1942 May made a call for volunteers and won twelve of his employees for this company. After the training turned out to be marginal in terms of both material and content, May sent two of his volunteers, Owen Hargreaves and Scotty Thompson, to the smoke jumpers school in Missoula , Montana , to be trained by the U.S. Forest Service. After six weeks they returned with controllable parachutes in order to be able to train more volunteers. Soon the unit made its first mission jumps. In 1944, May's official para-rescue program began. For his work May was honored by the USAAF with the Medal of Freedom with bronze palm in 1947 .
On the European battlefields of the Second World War, there were few opportunities to deploy rescue workers. Since the majority of the flights took place over hostile territory, an (emergency) landing meant immediate capture. At that time, the United Kingdom's armed forces provided their Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service (RAFMRS), which was mainly based on civilian principles. The RAFMRS thus provided support in the rescue and repatriation of American aircraft crews who had had an accident on British territory. Due to numerous crashes over sea areas, the 8th Air Force set up its own sea rescue group .
In contrast to the war in Europe, a crash over the area of the Pacific Ocean was often synonymous with the death of the affected aircraft crews due to the prevailing circumstances. Nevertheless, the United States Army set up several units to rescue crashed crews and was able to provide valuable help in several cases.
The Second Sino-Japanese War combined the need for long cross-country flights with areas controlled only by weak enemy forces, which favored the use of pararescue jumpers. The route known as The Hump has transported thousands of supplies from India across the Himalayas to China. To this end, numerous crews took off every day in Curtiss C-46 and Douglas DC-3 aircraft , many of which never reached their destination due to mechanical problems, bad weather or pilot errors. Crews that landed in the emergency were then subjected to weeks of hardship as they sought their way back to civilization. Former stunt pilot Captain John L. "Blackie" Porter commanded the first official air rescue unit of the war. Equipped with two C-47s and known as "Blackie's Gang", she started her rescue operations from Chabua , India . One of their first missions was the repatriation of 20 crew members of a C-46 in August 1943 in Burma. Among them was CBS reporter Eric Sevareid . The crew was located and supplies were dropped. The unit's aeronautical surgeon, Lt. Col. Don Flickinger and the two paramedics Sgt. Richard S. Passey and Cpl. William MacKenzie jumped off with their parachutes and secured medical care for the wounded crew members. At the same time, a ground team was deployed to bring all 20 people back.
Although air rescue missions in this form were not yet officially authorized, these missions are considered by the PJs as the birth of the Air Force Pararescue. A few months later, Cpt. Porter killed when his B-25 was shot down during a rescue mission.
In 1944, General William H. Tunner took command of the Air Transport Command in the Second Sino-Japanese War, assigning Major Donald C. Pricer command of the 3352nd Air Search and Rescue Squadron. In addition to the fixed-wing aircraft, the rescue units have now also been assigned helicopters for the first time.
After the need for a unified organization of air rescue services was recognized, the Army Air Forces set up the Air Rescue Service (ARS) on May 29, 1946. His mission was to rescue aircraft crews involved in aircraft accidents, emergency landings, ditchings, etc. In the vicinity of an air force base, the respective commander had the authority over search and rescue operations of the helicopter units of his Local Base Rescue (LBR), but the area of operations was limited by a 135-mile radius (217 km). In order to achieve an increase in range, the pararescue teams were authorized on July 1, 1947 to operate outside this zone. The first teams were operational in November of the same year. Each team consisted of a para-doctor and four other soldiers trained in medicine, survival, rescue, and tactics. Their mission was to rescue aircraft crews who operated their bombers and transport aircraft far away from the base, as well as to support other services.
Another mission in 1947 gave the final impetus for the official formation of the Air Force Pararescue. In May 1947, Captain Pope B. "Doc" Holliday jumped out of an OA-10 Catalina into the jungle of Nicaragua to rescue a crew member of a B-17 Flying Fortress. Holliday was then awarded the Bronze Star for this service.
Shortly after the Pararescue teams were authorized, the 5th Rescue Squadron set up the first Pararescue and Survival School at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. The core of the instructors were experienced officers and men who were recruited from all branches of the armed forces. The commander of this school was 1st Lieutenant Perry C. Emmons, who served in the Office of Strategic Services during World War II. At the end of the war, Emmons and six other NCOs flew prisoners of war from Thailand, which earned the group the nickname "Perry and the Pirates". After the war, Emmons completed his training at the Airborne School at Fort Benning , Georgia as the second qualified Air Force pilot.
In late 1947, the crash of a B-29 "Clobbered Turkey" in the US state of Alaska demonstrated the need for air rescue capabilities in the United States as well. On December 21, 1947, the machine collided with a mountain; the wreck was located six days later. 1st Lt. Albert C. Kinney, First Sergeant Santhell A. London and Leon J. Casey volunteered to jump over the crash site, which was about 95 miles north of Nome . In poor visibility, extreme cold and strong wind, all three were killed during their mission. Casey's body was found 11 miles from the crash site. Two members of the machine's crew also died a few miles away while looking for help. When the two civil pilots William Munz and Frank Whaley arrived at the crash site two days later, they found the six remaining members of the crew who remained inside the machine as survivors. Kinney's body was not found until July of the following year.
Due to staff shortages, doctors from the Medical Service Corps replaced the para-doctors from the Pararescue teams in 1949 and received the same training as all regular members of the teams. One of the first of these officers was the pharmacist John C. Shumate, who was later appointed commander of the Pararescue and Survival School.
At that time, the Air Rescue Specialist Course was being introduced at the School of Aviation Medicine at Gunter Air Force Base, Alabama. Aligned to give the pararescuemen the skills to determine the type and extent of injuries and to treat them, the course was conducted by officers of the Medical Corps with experience as pararescuemen; including Pope B. Holliday, Rufus Hessberg, Hamilton Blackshear, Randal W. Briggs and Burt Rowan.
Korean War
As the Pararescue units grew up, PJs were assigned to each Air Rescue Service to ensure global availability of this capability. In 1950, the amalgamation of all independent Air Rescue Squadrons under the umbrella of the Air Rescue Service was completed. In the same year North Korea started the Korean War by crossing the 38th parallel . This enabled the air rescue units to demonstrate their training in practice. One of the key concepts was the rescue of aircraft crews who had crashed behind enemy lines. In addition, they were used to evacuate the wounded from wounded nests near the front ( (Forward) Air MedEvac ).
PJs were an integral part of the air rescue units deployed for these missions. Her knowledge and skills in tactical operations and medical wound care were invaluable in carrying out these operations. The PJs were often forced to leave the helicopters they brought into the area of operations to support the soldiers to be rescued. As a result, the way back to your own troops was several miles and took up to 72 hours.
At the end of 1953, the air rescue service was able to record the evacuation of 8,000 seriously injured people and almost 1,000 soldiers.
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was the decisive conflict for the pararescue teams. The operations of the United States Air Force reached a scale that also increased the need for air rescue units. The increased use of helicopters led to the development of new tactics for rescuing isolated personnel. So-called rescue packages were formed and consisted of Forward Air Controllers (FAC), rescue escorts by aircraft of the type Bell AH-1 or Douglas A-1 , air surveillance missions (Combat Air Patrol, CAP), HC-130 Hercules to coordinate rescue missions and air refueling , as well as the HH-3 Jolly Green Giant and HH-53 Super Jolly Green Giant for the quick rescue of downed aircraft crews far behind enemy lines. PJs were part of these teams to search for wounded crew members in the vicinity of the crash site and to provide medical care.
Training and structure
The PJ training is unofficially known as the Pipeline or Superman School . At almost two years it is one of the longest training courses for special workers in the world. It also has a dropout rate of around 80%.
Pararescue candidates must first pass the Pararescue Indoctrination Course at Lackland Air Force Base. Courses such as the Combat Dive School , Army Airborne , National Registry for Paramedic , survival training (SERE) and training in military freefall jumping follow. In addition, the candidate must complete the Pararescue Apprentice Course . After going through the pipeline , the PFY is assigned to a Rescue or Special Tactics team. As part of a special tactics team, the PFY also receives advanced skills training from the United States Air Force Combat Control Team .
Pararescue / Combat Rescue Officer Indoctrination Course
The Indoctrination Course runs over a period of nine weeks and is conducted at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. The aim is to recruit, select and train future PJs and Combat Rescue Officers (CRO). During this course, candidates are subject to extreme physical demands in swimming, running, strength training and calisthenics . The course prepares participants for the stresses and strains of the actual PJ training. Other sections of the training include conquering the obstacle course, backpacking, diving, cardiopulmonary resuscitation , weapons training, history of PJs, and driver training.
Army Airborne School
in Fort Benning , Georgia, the participants learn the basic skills for skydiving to infiltrate areas of operation. The three-week course is divided into the ground operations week , tower week and jump week , in which the participants complete five parachute jumps. After completing the course, the graduates receive authorization to wear the Parachutist Badge .
Air Force Combat Diver Course (AFCDC)
The five-and-a-half- week course takes place at the Navy Diving and Salvage Training Center, Florida, and is divided into the sections theory, infiltration / exfiltration techniques, and diving with a compressed air and rebreather . The aim of the course is to train the PJs / CROs and Combat Controllers or Special Tactics Officers to become competent and capable combat divers / swimmers. The diving training consists of lessons, fitness training, exercises on and under the water surface, infiltration exercises by day and night, underwater search and rescue techniques and concludes with an overall exercise in which all training components are mapped.
Navy Underwater Egress Training
The one-day course takes place at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida and teaches participants how to safely exit aircraft after ditching.
Air Force Basic Survival School,
held at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, the two-and-a-half week course teaches participants basic techniques for surviving with minimal equipment in remote areas. This includes training in principles, processes, equipment and techniques that should enable those affected to survive regardless of climatic conditions or the degree of danger and to make their way through to their own troops.
Army Military Free Fall Parachutist School
The five-week course takes place both in Fort Bragg , North Carolina, and on the Yuma Proving Ground , Arizona, and provides participants with knowledge of military free fall jumping . The course includes training in wind tunnels and jumping out of aircraft. Each participant completes at least 30 freefall jumps, two of which are day / night jumps with an oxygen mask, backpack and additional luggage.
Pararescue EMT-Paramedic Training
The 24-week course takes place at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, and imparts knowledge and skills for treating trauma patients before they can be evacuated from the operating area and given further medical care. The four-week phase I of the course consists of EMT-B training ( emergency medical technician basic ). The remaining 20 weeks of Phase II include instruction on how to perform minor field operations, treatment of trauma resulting from combat operations, advanced airway management and military evacuation procedures. Graduates of the course are awarded the status of the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians-Paramedic (NREMT-P).
Pararescue Recovery Specialist Course
The 24-week course is held at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, and qualifies graduates as pararescue recovery specialists who can be assigned to any pararescue unit worldwide. The training includes medical and tactical care for the wounded under operational conditions, military mountaineering, combat tactics, advanced skydiving and infiltration / exfiltration by helicopter. After successfully completing the course, each graduate is awarded a burgundy beret.
Pararescue and Advanced Pararescue Orientation Course
Since the 1950s, the PJs of the United States Air Force have supported the Civil Air Patrol candidates as part of their training. This support finally culminated in the introduction of the Pararescue Orientation Course (PJOC) at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico in 1977. This course was later held in Fort Knox, Kentucky, and the George Washington National Forest in Virginia. During this course, Civil Air Patrol candidates were trained in basic survival and rescue techniques, including makeshift shelter construction, orientation, and mountaineering. The Advanced Pararescue Orientation Course (APJOC) was introduced in the 1980s and took place exclusively at Kirtland AFB. In 2003 both courses were canceled. The PJOC was reintroduced the following year, but the APJOC was not reintroduced until 2008 at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona. The content of the APJOC builds on the knowledge imparted during the PJOC and places the candidate in a position as part of a Pararescue or Special Tactics Squadron.
oath
"It is my duty as a Pararescueman to save life and to aid the injured. I will be prepared at all times to perform my assigned duties quickly and efficiently, placing these duties before personal desires and comforts. These things we (I) do, that others may live. "
“It is my duty as a pararescueman to protect life and help the injured. I will at all times be ready to quickly and efficiently fulfill the duties imposed on me, which have priority over my personal desires and conveniences. I / we will fulfill these tasks so that others can continue to live. "
Originally known as The Code of the Air Rescueman , the Pararescuemen's oath was penned by the Air Rescue Service's first commander, then Lieutenant Colonel Richard T. Knight, and is still used today by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC).
units
Existing units
Air Combat Command units
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23d wing
- 347th Rescue Group - Moody Air Force Base , Georgia
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563d Rescue Group - Davis-Monthan Air Force Base , Arizona
- 48th Rescue Squadron
- 55th Rescue Squadron
- 58th Rescue Squadron - Nellis Air Force Base , Nevada
- 66th Rescue Squadron - Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada
- 79th Rescue Squadron
United States Air Force units in the Pacific
Units of the United States Air Forces in Europe
- 48th Fighter Wing - RAF Lakenheath , Suffolk, England
Air Force Special Operations Command units
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24th Special Operations Wing , Hurlburt Field, Florida
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720th Special Tactics Group , Hurlburt Field, Florida
- 21st Special Tactics Squadron , Pope Field , North Carolina
- 22nd Special Tactics Squadron , Joint Base Lewis-McChord , Washington state
- 23rd Special Tactics Squadron , Hurlburt Field , Florida
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724th Special Tactics Group , Pope Field, North Carolina
- 24th Special Tactics Squadron , Pope Field, North Carolina
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720th Special Tactics Group , Hurlburt Field, Florida
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353d Special Operations Group , Kadena Air Base , Japan
- 320th Special Tactics Squadron , Kadena Air Base, Japan
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352d Special Operations Group , RAF Mildenhall , United Kingdom
- 321st Special Tactics Squadron , RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom
- 123rd Special Tactics Squadron , Louisville International Airport , Kentucky (Air National Guard), as part of the 123d Airlift Wing
- 125th Special Tactics Squadron , Portland IAP , Oregon (Air National Guard), as part of the 142d Fighter Wing
Air National Guard units
- Under the leadership of the Air Combat Command
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Led by the Pacific Air Forces
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176th Wing - Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson ( Alaska Air National Guard )
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176th Operations Group
- 210th Rescue Squadron
- 210th Rescue Squadron Detachment 1 - Eielson Air Force Base
- 211th Rescue Squadron
- 212th Rescue Squadron
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176th Operations Group
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176th Wing - Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson ( Alaska Air National Guard )
Air Force Reserve Command units
- Under the leadership of the Air Combat Command
Former units
- 57th Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron - Lajes Field , Azores (retired December 1, 1972)
Web links
- Description of Pararescuemen ( Memento from August 1, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) on the official Air Force website
- United States Air Force Pararescue Association (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ 347th Rescue Group . In: Moody Air Force Base . United States Air Force. Archived from the original on January 12, 2016. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
- ↑ 563rd Rescue Group . In: Davis-Monthan Air Force Base . United States Air Force. Archived from the original on February 16, 2016. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
- ↑ a b Major Tenant Units at Nellis AFB . In: Nellis Air Force Base . United States Air Force. Archived from the original on January 13, 2009. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
- ^ 18th Operations Group . In: Kadena Air Base . United States Air Force. September 2007. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
- ^ 123rd Airlift Wing, Kentucky ANG - Units . 123aw.ang.af.mil. January 10, 2014. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
- ↑ 142nd Fighter Wing, Oregon Air National Guard - Units . 142fw.ang.af.mil. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
- ^ History of the 129th Rescue Wing . In: 129th Rescue Wing . California Air National Guard. Archived from the original on January 4, 2009. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
- ↑ 176th Operations Group . In: 176th Wing . United States Air Force. Archived from the original on January 14, 2009. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
- ↑ Detachment 1, 210th Rescue Squadron, Alaska Air National Guard . In: Eielson Air Force Base . United States Air Force. Archived from the original on January 13, 2009. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
- ↑ units . In: 920th Rescue Wing . United States Air Force. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
- ^ Lajes Field History - 1973 Arab-Israeli Conflict and More . In: Lajes Field . United States Air Force. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
