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Breaking glass, mending hearts - training prepares rescuers for challenges

  • Published
  • By Tech Sgt. Kristin Mack
  • 301st Fighter Wing
PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Rivers of blood oozing from pale, lifeless bodies. Muted cries of excruciating pain. Gunshots heard from unknown directions.

These are familiar sights and sounds to a cadre of Airmen who have the challenging task of saving lives, no matter the time, location or circumstance.

As part of the only combined rescue and medical squadron in Air Force Reserve Command, they proudly earn the elite title of "PJ" (pararescue jumper) of the 920th Rescue Wing here.

Their mission ranges from saving the lives of downed Airmen in hostile places to pulling U.S. citizens out of dangerous spots in the United States. At times, they are called to assist the Coast Guard and they continually serve NASA astronauts with life-saving support prior to space shuttle launches.

"We are here to save lives," said Master Sgt. Chad Evans, PJ with the 920th RQW. "That is our primary mission."

Saving lives - anywhere, anytime - can be a grueling task, and PJs must train for a wide-range of scenarios.

In one ground training exercise here in April, a four-man team is "on alert in Afghanistan." Two carloads of passengers are disabled when they are struck by an improvised explosive device. Within minutes the PJs are on the scene taking charge of both the enemy and the injured. The injured are treated and stabilized despite the hostile threat that looms in the war-zone shadows.

The training was part of the certification they must complete every 17 months to retain their skill levels, said Sergeant Evans.

It is not easy to qualify and earn a coveted PJ spot in the Air Force Reserve. One must be in top physical fitness condition, have good vision and, most importantly, have the will to complete seven challenging schools. The schools range from parachuting and scuba diving to paramedic training. Only 1 percent has the will and strength to make it through to graduation.

"This is an exciting job with the most rewarding tasks in the military," said Sergeant Evans. "We put our lives on the line to save others because that is what we are trained and called to do."

Getting into the world's premier search-and-rescue unit, the 920th RQW, is tough, and staying qualified is an ongoing challenge.

The PJs train locally nearly every day, jumping into the water that surrounds Patrick AFB to perform helicopter rappels and hoists among many other training scenarios. Their mission can take them anywhere in the world, under the most austere conditions.

Patrick AFB is home to one squadron of PJs, but the wing has two sister PJ units - one at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, Ariz., and the other at Portland International Airport, Ore.

Wherever the PJs are, atop mountains, in the desert or in the water, they are always trained and ready to face whatever new challenges come their way. (Air Force Reserve Command News Service)