Reservists return from Dijbouti

An Airman from the 920th Rescue Wing waves the American flag through the porthole of an HC-130P/N Hercules aircraft May 5, 2009, as it and another aircraft taxi onto the Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., flightline. Thirty Airmen returned safely to Patrick from the Horn of Africa, where they provided combat search and rescue support to the region, which included the countries of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia. The Air Force Reserve Command wing had reservists in Africa for two months. (U.S. Air Force photo/Kristen Kincade)

Reservists remember victims of Pony 1-2 crash

The Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (Ariz.) Honor Guard posts the colors at a memorial ceremony March 8, 2009. More than 300 people, including current and former Airmen, gathered at Heritage Park to honor and remember the people who died in the line of duty during a nighttime training mission March 12, 1989. Four aircrew members from the Air Force Reserve's 71st Special Operations Squadron, forerunner of the 943rd Rescue Group, at Davis-Monthan AFB and 11 Soldiers from the 5th Special Forces Group from Fort Bragg, N.C., died in the crash of a CH-3E Jolly Green Giant helicopter, call sign Pony 1-2, in a desolate desert region 20 miles northwest of Tucson. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Bryan Ripple)

It's the great pumpkin suit

PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Pararescuemen from the 38th Rescue Squadron at Moody AFB, Ga., familiarize themselves with the Advanced Crew Escape Suit (ACES) at the helicopter squadron here in preparation for tomorrow's space shuttle launch. The spacesuit, also known as the "pumpkin suit," contains such items as a signal flare, survival radio, strobe light, drinking water, motion-sickness pills and a one-man life raft. Reserve, Guard and active-duty pararescuemen have provided medical contingency response for all manned and unmanned NASA launches since the space program began. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Paul Flipse)

Space and Air Show Demo

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - Air Force Reservists demonstrate an aerial refueling mission during the second annual Space and Air Show Nov. 7-9 at Kennedy Space Center. Shown here, pilots and aircrew personnel fly a 920th HC-130P/N tanker aircraft by show center performing a dual aerial refueling operation. This maneuver allows the tanker to transfer fuel to the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters to give them farther range during search and rescue missions. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Jim Massoni)

Rescue Wing gears up for Air and Space Expo '08

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - Central Floridal media personnel fly aboard an Air Force Reserve HC-130P/N Hercules refueling aircraft during the 2007 Kennedy Space Center Air and Space Expo. The media film the C-130 tanker as it lowers hoses from its wings to refuel two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters as once. The aircraft were part of the 920th Rescue Wing's astronaut recovery demonstration during the '07 show. The 920th RW is preparing to perform again at the 2008 KSC Air and Space Expo scheduled Nov. 7-9. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Staff Sgt. Heather Kelly)

The finer points of firepower

PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Lt. Col. Phillip "Hoss" Kennedy, director of operations for the helicopter squadron here, was one of many 920th Rescue Wing members who welcomed the commanding general of 10th Air Force, Brig. Gen. Thomas Coon, during a visit to the wing here today. After meeting with wing commander Col. Steve Kirkpatrick, the general toured the 920th aeromedical and pararescue squadrons before suiting up with Colonel Kennedy to fly one of the 920th Rescue Wing's HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters. Before the flight, the general received a tour of the aircraft from Colonel Kennedy, seen here explaining the finer points of a .50-caliber machine gun. General Coon, a command pilot with more than 4,000 hours experience flying fighters like the F-16, spoke about what he hoped to gain from experiencing a flight from the point of view of a rescue pilot. "It'll be great to see how they do their missions," he said. "As a fighter guy, it gives me a lot more situational awareness. I'm looking forward to it." The general also spoke of wing's mission of combat and civil search and rescue as one that inspires a real sense of accomplishment in wing Airmen. "This mission is one of the greatest around," he said. "It's really something these people can be proud of." The 920th Rescue Wing, based in Portland, Ore., Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., and here at Patrick, is the only rescue unit in the Air Force Reserve. The unit has the wartime mission of locating and recovering U.S. servicemembers shot down or trapped in hostile territory. Back in Florida, the wing performs civil search and rescue, humanitarian relief (hurricanes, floods, etc.) and also provides emergency-response support for all NASA space shuttle and rocket launches. Tenth Air Force is one of three numbered air forces in Air Force Reserve Command, and is responsible for command supervision of fighter, bomber, special operations, rescue, airborne warning and control, flying training, combat air operations battle staff, unoccupied aerial vehicle and space units in the Air Force Reserve Command. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Paul Flipse)

Looking to the sky to save me

NEDERLAND, Texas -- A person stranded by the floodwaters of Hurricane Ike is hoisted up to an Air Force Reserve HH-60G Pave Hawk along with the pararescueman (PJ) performing the rescue at a small Texas town Sept. 13. Both the PJ and the Pave Hawk belonged to the 331st Air Expeditionary Group, The organization in charge of air support due rescue operations in the wake of the lethal hurricane, which claimed more than 30 American lives in the Gulf region. The rescue was the first made by two aircrews aboard two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters who were en route to the Galveston, Texas area when they spotted the tiny town of Nederland -- population 2,000 -- almost completely covered by floodwaters. They immediately broke from their route and began scanning the city for anyone hurt or suffering due to the deadly storm. Just minutes after they arrived, the crews were pulling people from rooftops and off of flooded roads. In all, the two helicopter crews, deployed for hurricane relief from their home at the 920th Rescue Wing, Patrick AFB, Fla., saved 17 people from Nederland. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Paul Flipse)

Searching for signs of life

NEDERLAND, Texas -- Air Force Reserve pararescueman Master Sgt. Chris Seinkner, a member of the 331st Air Expeditionary Group, scans the devastation left by Hurricane Ike for people in need of aid Sept. 13. Sergeant Seinkner was part of two aircrews aboard two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters who were en route to the Galveston, Texas area when they spotted the tiny town of Nederland almost completely covered by floodwaters. They immediately broke from their route and began scanning the city for anyone hurt or suffering due to the deadly storm, which claimed more than 30 American lives. Just minutes after they arrived, the crews were pulling people from rooftops and off of flooded roads. In all, the two helicopter crews, deployed for hurricane relief from their home at the 920th Rescue Wing, Patrick AFB, Fla., saved 17 people from Nederland. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Paul Flipse)

Angel of Mercy

NEDERLAND, Texas -- An Air Force Reserve pararescueman 920th Rescue Wing scans the ravaged Texas landscape for signs of life in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. Deployed from their home at Patrick AFB, Fla., the pararescuemen, along with two aircrews, two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters and two HC-130P/N refueling aircraft, saved 17 people from the tiny Texas town Sept. 13. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Paul Flipse)

Gifts From Above

PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Air Force Reserve helicopter pilots with the 920th Rescue Wing depart from the base to conduct search and rescue operations in the Gilf region following Hurricane Ike's landfall. The men and women of the 920th are no strangers to this kind of work. In 2005, wing Airmen were a key asset during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Within 34 hours of Katrina's landfall, crews from the 920th deployed to the Gulf region and were the first Air Force responders on scene. (U.S. Air Force photo / Capt. Cathleen Snow)

Off to save the day

PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- An Air Force Reserve helicopter pilot with the 920th Rescue Wing here prepares to fly to the Gulf region, where he and a group of wing Airmen will stand ready to provide search and rescue support for those affected by Hurricane Ike. (U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Cathleen Snow)

Hanna's Coming

Helicopter and fixed-wing aircrews from the Air Force Reserve's 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. will evacuate four HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters and four HC-130P/N extened-range search-and-rescue C-130s to Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, Ala. Sept. 3 as part a hurricane alert measure. The wing is in the projected path of Tropical Storm Hanna, projected to become a hurricane and storm by the area later this week. (U.S. Air Force File Photo)