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Rescue unit deploys reservists to Horn of Africa

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Leslie Kraushaar
  • 920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --   Sixty reservists from the 920th Rescue Wing loaded their gear and boarded two HC-130P/N Hercules aircraft here Aug. 25 for a two-month deployment to the Horn of Africa.

HOA denotes the East Africa region containing the countries of Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Somalia.

"It doesn't matter if we deploy for one day or 100 days; it's the same preparation," said Lt. Col. Antonio Cunha, commander of the 920th Operations Support Flight and in charge of the deployment.

Colonel Cunha said aircraft maintainers work hard to keep the wing's 46-year-old planes in working order for deployments.

After kissing his wife goodbye, the colonel climbed into the cockpit of one of the planes and started his deployment to the Horn of Africa.

Much of the mission in Africa will be helping with humanitarian needs in the area. The primary mission of the unit is combat search and rescue, and the reservists will be available to perform that mission for U.S. service members and coalition partners operating in the region.

Wing reservists have played a major role in disaster relief efforts, saving lives and keeping communities safe throughout their history. For example, they saved more than 1,040 lives in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the 2005 hurricane that devastated the Gulf Coast.

"We will be a part of a combined task force based out of the Horn of Africa," said Colonel Cunha. "We'll be in place for humanitarian missions and support for the pararescuemen (Air Force special operators trained as rescue specialist). There's a lot of land to cover over there, so we'll be very busy."

The extended range of the search-and-rescue Hercules aircraft enables it to perform a variety of missions. It can conduct air-to-air refueling of military helicopters performing search and rescue, serve as a search-and-rescue platform and provide a mode of transportation to get pararescuemen to survivors in need of help, at sea, or on land.

"There is no mission like the rescue mission," said Master Sgt. Shane Smith, an HC-130P/N loadmaster. "We're all just ordinary people who have a calling to be a part of saving lives."

Citizen Airmen in the wing going to the Horn of Africa include aircrew, maintenance, support and security forces personnel.