Hugs and kisses

PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Air Force Reservist Maj. Michael Stuker was happy to see his baby daughter and wife Jennifer after returning from a deployment to Afghanistan Jan. 6. The returning Airmen, comprised of roughly 50 helicopter pilots, crew and maintenance specialists from the 920th Rescue Wing here, deployed in August on the second leg of a 14-month Joint Expeditionary Tasking (JET) mission to support the U.S. Army medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) operation in Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Cathleen Snow)

Rescue reservists return from lifesaving mission

Published Jan. 7, 2009
By Tech. Sgt. Paul Flipse
920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs

PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- A group of approximately 50 Air Force reservists from the 920th Rescue Wing here returned home Jan. 5 after a 4-month deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The group, which included helicopter pilots, crewmembers and maintenance specialists, deployed in August on the second leg of a 14-month Joint Expeditionary Tasking mission to support the U.S. Army medical evacuation operation in Afghanistan.

Rescue wing Airmen from Florida--and from the wing's subordinate units in Arizona and Oregon--began the JET deployment in February. Since then, they recorded more than 300 'saves' and nearly 350 'assists.'

A 'save' refers to a situation where, without immediate medical evacuation, a person would lose their life, a limb or eyesight (LLE). An 'assist' refers to evacuations where LLE were not in immediate danger.

The 920th Rescue Wing's primary wartime mission is combat search and rescue, which involves locating and retrieving U.S. servicemembers trapped behind enemy lines. The wing also provides civil search and rescue, humanitarian relief and is the primary response unit for every NASA shuttle and rocket launch.