US AIR FORCE RESCUE AIDS IN "GOLDEN HOUR" RECOVERY OF COALITION FORCES

RACING AGAINST THE CLOCK

Racing against the clock, rescue flights launch into action to retrieve wounded service members and other battlefield casualties. As the helicopters hover over a hostile area, the Guardian Angel team rushes out to retrieve the wounded, often risking their own lives “so that others may live.”

The 129th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron (ERQS) here responds to emergency medical evacuation calls within Helmand province. The detachment covers the dual role of providing casualty evacuation and personnel recovery/combat search and rescue (CSAR) in Helmand province. They support Regional Command South, responding to calls for U.S. and coalition forces as well as Afghan national security forces and local nationals.

“As Air Force rescue crews, we use our personnel recovery and CSAR skill-set to conduct casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) quicker and better than anyone in theater,” said Maj. Matt Wenthe, 129th ERQS detachment commander.

HOLDING TRUE TO THEIR MOTTO

The rescue squadron is made up of more than 60 personnel and a complement of HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters. The rescue flight consists of two helicopters, each with a pilot, co-pilot, aerial gunner, flight engineer and two pararescuemen or combat rescue officers (CRO). The Air Force rescue teams hold true to their motto: Those things we do so that others may live.

They are often identified through the Jolly Green Giant patches worn on their right shoulders. “Our entire mindset is to bring an emergency medical platform, combined with offensive security capability, to the site for quick and successful extraction of those who need us,” Wenthe said.

GOING INTO HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS

The area has recently seen an increase of insurgent activity as more coalition forces are moved into Afghanistan. As such, more calls come over the radio requesting rapid recovery of injured servicemembers, or innocent bystanders, in extremely hostile locations. This type of mission demands a response team specialized in rapid insertion to and egress from aggressive and risky environments.

“The CSAR mission requires us to train going into hostile environments,” the major said. “That training allows us to execute medical evacuations in areas other units cannot get into.”

The rescue crews are trained to extract personnel in any environment. “We can go into any mission set to recover someone, regardless of the terrain,” said Capt. John, 129th ERQS CRO. “Whether they are Marines trapped in an MRAP [mineresistant ambush protected vehicle] or hanging from a 10,000 ft. cliff, my men can get to them and get them to safety.”

12-HOUR SHIFTS

The rescue teams must remain on high alert during their 12-hour shifts. When a medical report drops, the teams need to be ready immediately. “Things happen quick and the men have to be ready to move at a moment’s notice,” Wenthe said.

“Our guys can be asleep or playing video games, and 15 minutes later be flying into a hot zone recovering a seriously injured Soldier.” As per Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, teams need to respond within 60 minutes from the time a 9-line medical alert drops, to wheels down and transferring a patient to a higher level of medical care—a concept commonly referred to as the “Golden Hour.”

“Speed is what’s saving lives,” the major said. “Getting the Soldiers who are injured picked up quickly and to the higher care they need. If we are able to get to someone within the ‘Golden Hour,’ then survival is pretty certain.”

CSAR SAVES A MARINE

Recently, a Marine on a foot patrol in Helmand province was seriously injured from the blast of an improvised explosive device.

“If our CSAR guys hadn’t gotten to the Marine when they did and started medical care on him, he wouldn’t have survived; it’s that simple,” said Capt. Jac Solghan, Camp Bastion Role 3 Hospital Aeromedical Evacuation Liaison Team flight clinical coordinator.

“Following the ‘Golden Rule’ is giving people a chance who otherwise would have had none and [the CSAR] guys are giving us that hope for survival. Without them, countless people would now be dead.”

Constantly on the move, the teams receive upward of five calls per shift. They respond to all types of calls requiring care for anyone affected by combat.

“Per our creed, our role is to save a life in any condition,” the CRO said. “With so many customers on the line who need our help, it’s not a burden but a welcome opportunity to go out there and help the people who need us most. Through our men, lives are being saved. There’s no better reward than knowing someone will get to go home alive.”

AIR COMMANDO SAVES LIVES IN AFGHANISTAN

On 10 March, 2009, Staff Sgt. Zachary Rhyner received the Air Force Cross in a Pentagon ceremony, becoming the third Airman to receive this award in the Global War on Terror – and the first living recipient. His story is told below in this Air Force News Service article from 24 December, 2008.

An Air Force Special Operations Command Air Commando saved lives in Afghanistan on 6 April, 2008, during a lengthy battle by calling in air strikes to protect his team. Staff Sgt. Zachary J. Rhyner, 22, a special tactics combat controller assigned to the 21st Special Tactics Squadron at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., was deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom as the primary joint terminal attack controller (JTAC) while attached to a US Army Special Forces (SF) team.

Then a Senior Airman, Sergeant Rhyner was part of a 100-plus-man combined assault force whose mission was to enter Shok Valley and capture a high-value target. Sergeant Rhyner is credited with saving his 10-man SF team from being overrun twice in a six-and-a-half-hour battle.

Air Force Capt. Stewart Parker, a special operations forces staff officer at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, was the command-and-control link to the JTACs on the ground as they went into Shok Valley. “This was the first time U.S. special operations forces had entered the territory,” said Captain Parker. “These were extraordinary conditions and the situation was dynamic.“

Shok Valley is located below 60-foot cliffs. The mission objective was at the top of the mountains surrounding the valley. “Initial infiltration began that day with snow on the ground, jagged rocks, a fast-moving river and a cliff,” said Sergeant Rhyner. “There was a 5-foot wall you had to pull yourself up. The ridgeline trail was out of control.”

The expectation was to encounter fire from about 70 insurgents. One Air Force JTAC-qualified combat controller was attached to each team to call in air strikes, if needed. “We were caught off guard as 200 enemy fighters approached,” said Air Force Staff Sgt. Rob Gutierrez, a combat controller with the second team in the fight. “Within 10 minutes, we were ambushed with heavy fire from 50 meters. The teams were split by a river 100 to 200 meters apart, north to south.”

Sergeant Rhyner was in charge of coordinating the air assets.

“I have never seen a situation this bad,” said Captain Parker, who was monitoring the situation back at the base. “The intel said the enemy was 40 feet away from Zach and his team at one point. It was dangerous.”

Within the first 15 minutes of fire, Sergeant Rhyner was wounded, along with three team members. “I was pulling security when I got shot in the leg,” he said. “The rounds hit my left thigh and went through my leg and hit another guy in the foot.” He immediately felt pain and adrenalin.

“There was nowhere to go. I grabbed the wounded guys, but we were trapped by the enemy,“ he said. “I was calling in air strikes and firing, while moving the wounded down [the cliff].”

Sergeant Gutierrez could see insurgent fire coming from the buildings on the hilltops above them and was trying to get across the river to link up with Sergeant Rhyner. “Zach and I were in constant radio contact,” he said. “I could hear the automatic weapons, sniper fire and shoulder-fired antitank rockets with multiple blasts. We tried to push to the north to collocate with Zach’s team, but every time we pushed up river, it put us in an open line of fire. My team ran across the freezing river. The water came off the mountains and we were 100 to 200 feet beneath the enemy, like fish in a barrel,” said Sergeant Gutierrez.

As the enemy surrounded them, Sergeant Rhyner, who was being treated for his injuries by Capt. Kyle Walton, the Special Forces team leader, directed multiple rocket and gun runs from AH-64 helicopters against enemy positions.

“Zach was coordinating tremendous amounts of fire on both villages simultaneously,” said Sergeant Gutierrez. “Zach was in charge of the air strikes, since he was closest to the fight and could see even what the F-15 pilots could not.” Forty-five minutes to an hour had gone by since the fight began. “We were pinned down and I could see the enemy all over the hills running around,” said Sergeant Gutierrez. There were no stable targets. I kept the Apaches and the Hellfire missiles pressed to the north.” Accurate sniper, machine gun and shoulder-fired antitank rocket fire poured down on the assault force in a complex ambush initiated simultaneously from all directions as the team ascended the near-vertical terrain.

Sergeant Rhyner called in more than 50 close air strikes and strafing runs. Three hours into the fight, Sergeant Gutierrez reached Sergeant Rhyner’s position. “Sergeant Gutierrez and I met on the cliff during the battle briefly. We shared a laugh, but it was a busy, bleak situation,” Sergeant Rhyner said.

Sergeant Rhyner had been calling in air strikes for three hours while he was injured, however he still felt responsible for the others who had been hurt. With disregard for his own life, he tried to get the injured to safety, still in the open line of fire. “I left injured personnel in a house and I had to get over there,” he said. “I was frustrated being wounded. I tried to get the bombs there fast and talk to the pilots who didn’t see what I saw on the ground.”

Five or six hours into the fight, as it was getting dark, intelligence informed the JTACs that enemy reinforcements were 10 kilometers away carrying enemy rockets and missiles.

“We continued to fight our way up the hill and the [helicopters] came,” said Sergeant Gutierrez. “Zach was talking to the helos and gave the coordinates to lay the bombs on the village, while I kept the A-10s and the Apaches out of the way.” Sergeant Rhyner called in a total of 4,570 rounds of cannon fire, nine Hellfire missiles, 162 rockets, 12 500-pound bombs and one 2,000-pound bomb, constantly engaging the enemy with his M-4 rifle to deter their advance.

“Zach acted fast and shut down the fighting,” said Sergeant Gutierrez. “The wounded were taken out on medevac.”

Back at command and control, Captain Parker heard that the helicopters were on the ground with the wounded but he could not move the helicopters due to terrain and weather conditions. “Radio transmissions would block the signal due to terrain and vertical cliffs,” he said. “Helicopters were vulnerable and there was pressure to do everything we could to get the teams out quickly.”

Fog started rolling into the valley. “The helicopter couldn’t fly [due to altitude] and the situation called for ‘aggressive patience,’” said Captain Parker. “More than 50 percent of the U.S. forces were wounded and it was pretty grave.”

Toward the end of the fighting, 40 insurgents were killed and 100 wounded. Sergeant Rhyner was directly credited with the entire team’s survival due to his skill and poise under intense fire. “Sergeant Rhyner is out of training less than a year and is in one of the most difficult situations” said Captain Parker. “It is an absolute testament to his character and the training these guys take. It tells me we are doing something right.”

“If it wasn’t for Zach, I wouldn’t be here,” said Sergeant Gutierrez. Sergeant Rhyner received the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs Grateful Nation Award on 8 December and is awaiting presentation of the Purple Heart for the wounds he suffered during the battle.

COMBAT LIFESAVERS ARE A NECESSITY

The figures in this article are as of 3March, 2009. – Ed.

807 TROOPS COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED

Combat lifesaver (CLS)—two words, three letters, but a great task and a humbling responsibility. Since the inception of the Iraq War campaign on 3 March, 2003 and until today, the United States has had a fatality of service members totaling 4,245. Of these deaths, it is believed that 19 percent of them were preventable, which means that 807 Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, and Sailors could still be here with us today.

If the proper preventive methods had been taken, 807 families would not have had to receive the dreaded notification that a loved one died. It is to this need that many U.S. Army unit commanders deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan want their Soldiers CLS qualified or to become qualified in theater. Not to be outdone, and seeing the wisdom and necessity in preventive care, commanders in other branches have also adopted this standard.

TOURNIQUET! TOURNIQUET! TOURNIQUET!

In January 2009, four Soldiers of the 374th Financial Management Company, Brigade Troops Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade participated in a CLS class instructed by Sgt. Nicholas Canale and Staff Sgt. Jeremy G. Green, both of Fort Carson, Colo., for the 10th Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq.

Some of these Soldiers were taking the class for the first time, others for recertification. The motto of the class was “Tourniquet, tourniquet, tourniquet!” As instructor, Canale pointed out, “Not all deaths are preventable, and you cannot save everybody! This class is about getting you ready for the persons that you can aid. Not giving you the skills needed to perform operations in the midst of battle, but rather life-saving techniques that can be used to aid the casualties, so they can make it back to a medical care professional.”

The instructors went on with the daunting task of teaching the class of 15 Airmen and four Soldiers the importance of CLS, the history behind the need for it, and the statistics of the loss and damage done to service members, all due to the lack of preventive medical measures. While often mixing in humor to ease minds of personnel who are not used to the blood and gore of the medical profession, Green shared his own life-altering experience and brush with death that brought home the need for the CLS classes.

“I WAS IN THE VEHICLE BEHIND IT!”

Green went on to recap his time as medic in an infantry battalion, describing how a routine mission that was going well and with no loss of life or injuries went totally in a different direction at the last second.

“The unit I was in was done with its mission, and we were in our trucks heading back to the base and literally about 150–200 meters from the gate when the lead vehicle was hit by a suicide bomber in a car. I was in the vehicle behind it!” He went on to say that another bomb-laden vehicle was approaching the rear of the column, when Soldiers there fired on the vehicle, killing its driver. The point of the story was that while three Soldiers died that day, all of those that lived through the explosion could say they did so because of properly trained Soldiers who gave them first aid that allowed them to make it back to medical care professionals.

After the class was completed, first-time CLS graduate Sgt. Cody Smith, a native of Lock Haven, Pa., stated, “I now better understand the need for CLS; the knowledge is useful in both civilian and military life. ‘Tourniquet, tourniquet, tourniquet’ was the class motto, but the tip is to keep one on you at all times, so you’ll be prepared to aid a brother in arms or a civilian casualty. The Army provides you with a Combat Application Tourniquet; keep it in your lower pocket!”

QUICK THINKING, TEAMWORK, HELP NAVIGATE TANKER CREW OUT OF TROUBLE

“THIS IS SHELL 73, EMERGENCY!”

“Any aircraft, any station, this is Shell 73. Emergency. We’ve lost complete navigational capability. Request assistance.”

This was the mayday call from Capt. Matthew Jaeger that he and the crew of Shell 73, a KC-135 Stratotanker from Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, blindly transmitted as it flew somewhere over the border of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

As luck would have it, Capt. Jaeger was on the thirteenth flight of his first deployment as an aircraft commander, when both of his flight navigation systems failed. This left the pilot of just over two years unsure of where his current path would take his crew and plane. “We were trying to diagnose the problem the entire time, going through our checklists, but nothing we did was solving it,” said Captain Jaeger.

HEAVY CLOUD COVER ADDS TO THE RISK

To make matters worse, all geographic landmarks below were hidden by heavy cloud cover, so the crew couldn’t rely on visual references to guide them back to Manas or to an alternate landing site.

Even had they been able to steer themselves home, poor weather conditions prevented them from landing at Manas, where the airfield was socked in by rain and clouds. “I remembered the basics,” said Jaeger, “Aviate, navigate, communicate… we had plenty of fuel, and we knew that our altitude was high enough to keep us safely above the mountainous terrain.”

Realizing that landing at Manas was out of the question, Jaeger decided to divert Shell 73 south toward Afghanistan, knowing that he had to be particularly careful to not enter Chinese or Iranian air space. “I knew from our mission brief that the weather was good at Bagram,” he said. “We had to land at a field where we could use visual flight rules; one where we could see the runway and manually input our landing data.”

FLYING ON STANDBY INSTRUMENTS

Flying on standby instruments, Captain Jaeger had to think on his toes, and quickly. He told the boom operator, Senior Airman McKayla Dick, to grab the handheld GPS out of the aircraft survival kit. “My whole mentality was just to stay calm,” said Airman Dick. “I had to help out as much as I could so that we could get out of this situation.”

The move by Jaeger to use the handheld GPS garnered great admiration from those in his chain of command. “In my experience, something like this has never happened before,” said Lt. Col. Patrick Rhatigan, 22nd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron commander, who has 18 years of experience as a pilot. “For him to pull out the handheld GPS shows a level of maturity and quick thinking not usually seen in junior aircraft commanders.”

OUT-OF-THE-BOX THINKING

The out-of the box thinking worked. The crew used the GPS to verify they were on a heading to cross the border into Afghanistan, where they would be able to call for support from coalition aircraft.

“For about five minutes it was pretty tense, but once I knew we were on a vector south toward Afghanistan, that’s when it started to calm down,” said 1st Lt. Vance Feavel, copilot of Shell 73 who, like the rest of the crew, is deployed from the 92nd Air Refueling Squadron at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.

Now in Afghanistan, and within contact range of Kabul Air Control, Capt Jaeger was able to issue the mayday call. “We contacted Kabul, explained our situation and gave our position using the GPS,” explained Jaeger. “We then asked for a relay to see if we could get another plane to rendezvous with us.”

A C-17 TO THE RESCUE

Not far away, Moose 75, a C-17 deployed out of the 16th Airlift Squadron from Charleston AFB, S.C., was on an airdrop mission when the crew heard the call and diverted to intercept Shell 73. “Judy, I gotcha!” called out Lieutenant Feavel as he established visual confirmation with the C-17 just twenty minutes after the first mayday call.

Moose 75 was then able to lead Jaeger and his crew to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, where they set up a holding pattern.

“Bagram is basically in a bowl of mountains,” said Jaeger. “Moose 75 was able to take us into a holding pattern and then lead us through a hole in the clouds before guiding our descent for a visual approach.”

“It was a relief to know that we were able land safely with the help of Moose 75 and Kabul Air Control,” said Feavel after the crew of Shell 73 was back on the ground.

A QUICK FIX AND THEY’RE BACK TO FLYING

Once at Bagram, the crew’s good fortunes continued. The transient alert contractors that marshaled them to their parking spot were both former KC-135 crew chiefs. They responded immediately, checking out the navigational systems onboard.

After successfully rebooting the systems and finding nothing wrong, Capt. Jaeger and Lt. Feavel started up Shell 73 for the flight back to Manas. Just three hours after landing at Bagram, Capt. Jaeger and his crew were airborne and Shell 73 was navigating its way back home.

Once back at Manas, the crew got a good night’s rest and were back on the flying schedule the following day, flying yet another refueling mission over Afghanistan. “We got back without any real issues,” said Jaeger. “It was a real learning experience, but we couldn’t have done it without the help we were fortunate to receive from the C-17 crew and those on the ground.”

“As a pilot who’s flown the C-17 and KC-135, I’m really proud of how both crews teamed up, relied on their training, and pulled the rabbit out of the hat to keep us off the front page news,” said Rhatigan. “The outcome is a real testimony to the level-headed professionals carrying out the mission in the air and on the ground.”

This is one heck of a piece of flying by this aircrew, and hopefully their skill in dealing with this crisis will be rewarded. That said, it should be noted that this tanker over the years was delivered in 1957, fifty-two years ago. One has to wonder if a more modern aircraft might have suffered such an emergency. The interference of politicians in the Air Force’s effort to replace these old tankers over the years, including Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Congressman Todd Tiahrt (R-KS), and Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and others representing the two competitors in the hotly-disputed effort to replace the KC-135s, may have been partially responsible for placing this crew in this situation. – Ed.