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Rescue squadron recognizes Airmen for actions

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Ken Salgat
  • 920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
Thirteen Airmen from the 920th Rescue Wing's 308th Rescue Squadron were recognized here in an awards ceremony Aug. 8 for a variety of actions over the past few years.

"We're making a conscious effort to recognize the outstanding efforts of our squadron on a timelier basis," said Lt. Col. Kurt Matthews, 308th RQS commander during his squadron commander's call. "We're proud of these men and women, and their actions need to be recognized."

Those actions included:

- Wading through waist-deep snow in minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit in an avalanche in Afghanistan;

- Restoring order, saving lives and evacuating flood victims in the wake of Hurricane Ike;

- Supporting the NASA Space Shuttle contingency response plan;

- Medically evacuating Coalition forces in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom;

- Converting and activating the Guardian Angel Weapon System at the 308th Rescue Squadron.

Deployed Airmen of the 308th RQS employed their rescue skills to treat and evacuate 1,500 survivors of 36 avalanches in the Salang Pass, Afghanistan, Feb. 8-9, 2010. Despite the possibility of enemy threats and more avalanches, the team assembled extraction equipment and hypothermia kits to assist people who had been exposed to sub-zero temperatures, trapped in vehicles and in some cases buried in the snow for more than 12 hours.

"Our guys just wanted to get up there," said Tech. Sgt. Brian Wahlstedt, who was awarded for his leadership in enabling Guardian Angel Weapon Systems personnel to assume 24-hour alert duty and medical evacuation coverage in minimal time. "They were getting up there one way or another."