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Pararescue reservists enhance skills in joint training

  • Published
  • By Ruby Zarzyczny
  • 939th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MOUNT HOOD, Ore. --  

Air Force reservists from the 304th Rescue Squadron at Portland International Airport partnered with five civilian rescue organizations April 22 on Mount Hood for a day-long search and rescue mock exercise.

About 50 search and rescue professionals from the Clackamas County Sheriff’s department, Portland Mountain Rescue, American Medical Response’s Reach and Treat team, U.S. Forestry Service, and the Mountain Wave Communication participated together in this exercise at the Timberline Lodge.

“Rescue organizations in Oregon train together several times a year,” said Capt. Chris Bernard, 304th RQS combat rescue officer. “We are always interested in joint training with our civilian counterparts because it helps make all the moving parts of the [rescue] machine work.”

In the exercise scenario, two people had been climbing Mount Hood when they were reported missing to the Clackamas County Sheriff’s department on the night of April 21. Mount Hood is the second most climbed mountain in the world with a snow and ice covered summit reaching more than 11, 000 feet elevation.

During the exercise, Captain Bernard took care of the command and control for the 304th team at the base camp. Capt. Quintin Nelson, 304th combat rescue officer, and squadron pararescuemen Master Sgts. Eric Giacchino and Scott Light along with Tech. Sgt. John Davis used snow axes and crampons to climb up the snow covered mountain with their medical and rescue equipment on their backs. Once they reached the 9,500-foot elevation level of the snow covered mountain, they headed back down the mountain to search for the victims of the avalanche.

“This high-altitude snowy alpine environment is very similar to the mountains of Afghanistan where a pilot or ground troop could need the skills of a pararescueman,” Sergeant Giacchino said. “So the training we are doing here today is applicable training both to prepare us for a real world rescue on Mount Hood or in the mountains of a contingency theater.”

Pararescuers from the 304th RQS are used to being called on for assistance.

“We train so that others may live,” Captain Bernard said. “We are paramedics with unique technical search and rescue skills. We bring enough first aid and equipment to care for our victims and transport them out of danger.

“Training with local civilian rescue organizations enhances our skills and makes us familiar with the people we will be working with in a real SAR mission,” he said. (AFRC News Service)