PJ Dive Ops

Capt. Chris Bernard, 304th Rescue Squadron combat control officer, (far right) operates one of the squadron's Zodiac boats while public safety divers search for hazardous devices on the hull of the Ocean Pensedor, a freighter ship docked at Swan Island, Ore. May 11, 2006. The Air Force and Oregon and Washington State public safety divers work together to practice the techniques they learned in a Homeland Defense sponsored Underwater Hazardous Devices Search Course hosted at the 304th Rescue Squadron May 8-12, 2006. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Ruby Zarzyczny)

PJ Dive Ops

Staff Sgt. Chris Uriarte (left) and Master Sgt. Paul Schultz, (center) 306th Rescue Squadron pararescuemen from Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. and Staff Sgt. Josh Johnston, 304th Rescue Squadron from Portland, Ore. prepare to dive into the Willamette River to practice inspecting ships for hazardous devices at the hull of the Ocean Pensedor a freighter ship docked at Swan Island, Ore. May 11, 2006. They are attending a five-day Homeland Defense sponsored Underwater Hazardous Device Search course hosted by the 304th Rescue Squadron in Portland, Ore. May 8-12, 2006. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Ruby Zarzyczny)

Hurricane Katrina

Chief Master Sgt. Jeff Curl, 308th Rescue Squadron and Tech. Sgt. Andrew Canfield, prepare their radios and equipment before taking off on another search and rescue mission over Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf coast. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Bill Huntington)

Hurricane Katrina

Tech. Sgt. Jason Burger, 943rd Rescue Group, checklists in his HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter prior to take off on another Hurricane Katrina search and rescue mission over New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf coast. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Bill Huntington

Hurricane Katrina

Pararescueman Tech. Sgt. Andrew Canfield helps a Hurricane Katrina survivor with her dog upon arrival at New Orleans' Louis Armstrong International Airport. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Bill Huntington

Hurricane Katrina

Pararescueman Tech. Sgt. Andrew Canfield and a Hurricane Katrina survivor are hoisted up to an HH-60 Pave Hawk hovering over a flooded New Orleans neighborhood. Photo by Master Sgt. Bill Huntington

Hurricane Katrina

Another life was saved from the wrath of Katrina thanks to the concern of Senior Master Sgt. Cheryl King, Air Force reservist and maintenance superintendent with the 920th Rescue Wing, Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. Sergeant King received a request to locate someone unaccounted for in New Orleans and passed the information on the 920th RQW. Here she talks with Master Sgt. Michael Bradford, avionics guidance and control specialist, also with the 920th about an upcoming mission. Sergeant King, originally from Pennsylvania, has been at Patrick since 1993 and works full time for the FAA as a safety inspector. In the background is avionics communications-navigation specialist Master Sgt. Tom Trommater working on a communications problem. (Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. Elaine Mayo)

Hurricane Katrina

Maj. Tim Pfeifer, an Air Force reservist with the 920th Rescue Wing and commercial pilot with American Airlines, prepares his HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter for another search for survivors in New Orleans Sept. 10. Based out of Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., Major Pfeifer's crew is part of a Total Force team of AIr Force Reserve, Guard and active duty Airmen, who have saved more than 4,200 people. (Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. Elaine Mayo)

Hurricane Katrina

Tech. Sgt. Keith Berry, an Air Force Reserve Command pararescueman from the 304th Rescue Squadron in Portland, Ore., checks for overhanging tree limbs near his HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter as it returns to the skies over southern Mississippi after checking on Hurricane Katrina survivors. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Bill Huntington

A PJ's night in New Orleans

OVER NEW ORLEANS -- Tech. Sgt. Keith Berry looks down into flooded streets searching for survivors. He is part of an Air Force Reserve team credited with saving more than 1,040 people in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He is a pararescueman with the 304th Rescue Squadron from Portland, Ore. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Bill Huntington)

Helicopter mission changes as rescue tempo slows

JACKSON, Miss. -- Maintenance crews work on an HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopter after it broke before launching. Aircrews from active and Reserve units are here working to rescue people trapped by the flood waters of Hurricane Katrina's destruction along the U.S. southern coast. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Efrain Gonzalez)

Hoist rescue

NEW ORLEANS -- Tech. Sgt. Lem Torres surveys houses Sept. 2 looking for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Sergeant Torres is a pararescueman in the 38th Rescue Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Ga. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez)