That Others May Live... 600 So Far!

It is truly a most spectacular record... Air National Guardsmen from the 129th Rescue Wing based rescued two Afghan National Army soldiers in the Oruzgan Province of Afghanistan May 15th, raising the number of lives saved by the unit from 599 to 601. Two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters were scrambled to recover the Afghan soldiers who were critically injured with gunshot wounds during battle with Taliban forces. Suppression from U.S. Air Force fighter aircraft was required to permit the HH-60Gs, with pararescue forces onboard, to successfully perform the combat recovery.

While enroute to the nearest medical facility, pararescuemen performed life-saving trauma care to stabilize the two Afghan nationals. Pararescuemen have specialized training in advanced cardiac life support. The patients were successfully transferred to a field surgical team where they received advanced care for their injuries.

"It was a very challenging mission recovering two critically wounded soldiers from a highly contested area utilizing various tactical close-air-support assets," said Lt. Col. Daniel Lapostole, 129th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron commander. The 129th ERQS' primary mission is to perform combat search and rescue tasks, including personnel recovery and medical evacuation. The 129th is the lead unit for combat search and rescue in Afghanistan.

As an Air National Guard unit, many of the 129th's 600 rescues involved supporting the Governor's office during state emergencies, which included earthquakes, fires and floods. Last year the unit saved more than 35 people while performing search and rescue operations during the Northern California wildland fires and the Gulf Coast's Hurricane Ike. The unit also performed two long-range over-water rescues in 2008, both more than 500 miles off the coast of California.

"On behalf of the citizens of California, I commend the men and women of the 129th Rescue Wing on their 600th and 601st saves, which demonstrates their continued dedication to saving lives," said California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"From fires and hurricanes to combat operations, no challenge is too great for these guardsmen."

More than 65 citizen-Airmen from the Bay Area deployed to Afghanistan in early May for two to four months to provide combat search and rescue support for Operation Enduring Freedom. Approximately 100 servicemembers, including three of the unit's HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters, are deploying to Afghanistan over the course of their four-month tour.

"Our professional live-saving Airmen never cease to risk their lives for others, whether it is a fellow citizen here in California or a foreign national in Afghanistan," said Col. Amos Bagdasarian, commander of the 129th Rescue Wing. "Their brave combat actions typify our motto, 'These things we do, that others may live.'"

The unit's primary mission is to train and be prepared to perform its wartime mission of combat search and rescue anywhere in the world. In addition to its wartime mission, the unit also works closely with the Coast Guard and various civil agencies on state missions. [ANN Salutes Capt. Alyson M. Teeter, 129th Rescue Wing Public Affairs]

FMI: www.ang.af.mil, http://www.129rqw.ang.af.mil/