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Rescue Reservists land in Horn of Africa and Afghanistan

  • Published
  • By Maj. Cathleen Snow
  • 920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs

Two groups of Citizen Airmen from the 920th Rescue Wing deployed to two overseas locations to provide personnel recovery support to ongoing operations.

 

A group of fixed-wing aviator, maintenance and support personnel landed in Africa for four months as part of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa and will remain in place for personnel-recovery operations and humanitarian efforts as needed throughout east Africa.

 

Another group of helicopter aviators, maintenance and support personnel landed in Afghanistan to replace a group of 920th Airmen who have been in place at Bagram Air Base since October providing air rescue.

 

In both locations, Rescue wing Airmen are tasked with saving lives by using their skills and equipment to perform combat rescue operations – speeding to pick up isolated personnel and the injured and return them safely.

 

“The skill of our professional Airman allows us to live up to our air rescue creed, ‘to be prepared at all times, to go into harm’s way, to save life, and to aid the injured,’” said Colonel Kurt Matthews, 920th Rescue Wing commander.


The Wing has a 50-year history of saving lives, and the Airmen here have rescued nearly 4
,000 personnel in peacetime and in combat.

They live by the motto, “these things we do that others may live.”

 

The 920th RQW owns and operates nine HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters and six HC-130P/N King fixed-wing air refueling aircraft.