1,149th life saved

By Airman 1st Class Hannah Kirschman
129th Rescue Wing Public Affairs

June 24, 2021

MOFFETT AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Calif. -U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 129th Rescue Wing conducted a long-range overwater rescue mission over the Pacific Ocean in response to a critically ill 54-year-old male on board an oil tanker vessel, ARTEMIS, 375 nautical miles off the coast of San Francisco, June 24, 2021.

U.S. Coast Guard District 11 and Air Force Rescue Coordination Center requested the rescue from the 129th Rescue Wing when the ARTEMIS called in reporting one of their crewmen was experiencing difficulty breathing.  The 129th RQW accepted the mission and launched one HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and two HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters to the ARTEMIS.

Once the aircrafts reached the ARTEMIS, Guardian Angel pararescuemen (PJs) aboard one of the helicopters hoisted down to the vessel.  They stabilized and secured the patient before hoisting him up onto the hovering helicopter for transport. The PJs provided emergency treatment to the patient in the helicopter while in transit before delivering him to San Jose Medical Center for higher medical care. 

The Combat King II provided aerial refueling support, as well as command and control communications support between the ARTEMIS and the helicopter crew. Both teams aboard the HH-60s and HC-130J regularly train together to conduct their mission.

“The 130 RQS (HC-130J), 129 RQS (HH-60G), and 131 RQS (Guardian Angel) train together regularly, executing robust rescue scenarios to prepare for these types of missions,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Christina Brannon, assistant operations officer from the 130th Rescue Squadron.

The rescue team consisted of aircrew members working together with support personnel, maintenance and logistics readiness personnel. After returning home from overseas deployment earlier in June 2021, preparing for fire-response missions and continuing to operate safely in a COVID environment, members of the 129th RQW continue their training to remain mission-ready under any and all conditions.

“By practicing skills like rescue planning and coordination, aerial refueling, various extraction methods, airdrops, and a myriad of other mission sets in day and night environments during all types of weather conditions, we are better prepared to respond to short-notice rescue missions," Brannon said.

The 129th RQW is credited with saving the lives of more than 1,000 people. From arid deserts and snow-covered mountains to urban and rural settings, 129th Rescue Wing Airmen can reach any destination by land, air or sea. Equipped with HC-130J Combat King II aircraft, HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters and Guardian Angel teams (PJs, combat rescue officers and SERE specialists), the 129th Rescue Wing conducts combat search and rescue missions, as well as the rescue of isolated persons on board ships, lost or injured hikers, and medical evacuations across the West Coast.