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Memorial Day rescue by Portland Air Force Reserve Guardian Angels

  • Published
  • By Andre Trinidad
  • 943rd Rescue Group Public Affairs
The 304th Rescue Squadron combined forces with local authorities and the Oregon National Guard to rescue three climbers who fell on Mount Hood Memorial Day.

The motto of the Guardian Angels is “These things we do, that others may live,” and this credo has no limits. Within an hour of notification these Citizen Airmen were at the Squadron, leaving Memorial Day plans aside to fulfill their mission.

By day’s end, one life was saved via helicopter rescue and two individuals were assisted off the mountain.

This year's Memorial Day has increased significance because on March 15, two Air Force Reserve pararescuemen, Master Sgt. William Posch and Staff Sgt. Carl Enis were among seven Airmen killed in a helicopter crash in Iraq.

Both men were assigned to the 308th Rescue Squadron at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, part of the 920th Rescue Wing, the 943rd Rescue Group’s parent unit. The rescue community is a very small and elite group.

Air Force Reserve Guardian Angel Airmen are the only specialized and equipped personnel recovery specialists in the Department of Defense. As Air Force special operators, they are highly trained combat trauma specialists with specialized skills in mountain climbing, among many others technical proficiencies, which allows them to perform complex rescues anywhere in the world in any type of environment.