Balad PJs on the go, saving lives

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq – Senior Airmen Michael Bartelheim (front) and Brian Rickert, 64th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron pararescue jumpers, offload a simulated patient from an HH-60G Pavehawk helicopter at the Air Force Theater Hospital helo pad during an exercise Dec. 2, 2010. The exercise was part of training for the pararescue teams to prepare them for missions during their deployment here. Airman Bartelheim is a native of Reno, Nev., and Airman Rickert is a native of Waterford, Va. Both are deployed from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Tech. Sgt. Stacy Fowler)

Balad PJs on the go, saving lives

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq – Pararescue jumpers from the 64th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron offload a simulated patient from an HH-60G Pavehawk helicopter at the Air Force Theater Hospital helo pad during an exercise Dec. 2, 2010. The exercise was part of training for the pararescue teams to prepare them for missions during their deployment here. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Tech. Sgt. Stacy Fowler)

Balad PJs on the go, saving lives

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq – Senior Airman Adrian Foster, 64th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron pararescue jumper, loads a rappelling rope in an HH-60G Pavehawk helicopter for the night’s missions. Jumping out of aircraft is only one aspect of a PJ’s duties. Their training includes diving, lifesaving skills, extrication, hand-to-hand combat and more. Airman Foster, a native of Dayton, Ohio, is deployed from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Tong Duong)

Balad PJs on the go, saving lives

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq – Pararescue jumpers from the 64th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron load equipment onto an HH-60G Pavehawk helicopter for the night’s missions. Being a PJ is a 24-7 job for these Airmen, and every one of them loves the job they do. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Tong Duong)

'That Others May Live:' Balad PJs ready to jump in

Published Dec. 3, 2010
By By Tech. Sgt. Stacy Fowler
332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq -- When F-16s take off from the Joint Base Balad, Iraq, flightline, there is a group of men who are prepared to take off as well if the call comes through, using the HH-60G Pavehawk helicopter as their preferred mode of transportation.

"When these guys are called, somebody's having a really, really bad day," said 1st Lt. Chris Leonhardt, 64th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron combat rescue officer.

Their motto, "That Others May Live," is just the beginning for these quicksilver troops. Pararescue jumpers, usually known as PJs, are a very elite group; there are only about 270 worldwide. At Balad, this elite group's main mission in the 64th ERQS is to recover and, if needed, rescue downed aircrew in the Iraqi theater, either in friendly or unfriendly locations.

"We're a 24-7 operation here," said Tech. Sgt. Bob Roberts, 64th ERQS pararescue team leader. "When the call comes in, we grab our gear and head for the helicopters. These men are fast, maneuverable and adaptable. The caliber of the people here is second to none."

Being a PJ can be brutal on the body, Sergeant Roberts, a native of Layton, Utah, said, but these guys love the job they do. And the mental rewards make the bodily injuries more than worth it.

"Our job is to kick butt and save lives, and we're very good at our job," Sergeant Roberts, deployed from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., said. "We're just normal guys who get to work with some cool equipment and amazing training for the best job in the world. You're doing your absolute best with chaos in a stressful situation. You never know what's going to happen, so you train for any possibility and are able to adjust at a moment's notice."

Jumping out of aircraft is only one small part of being a PJ, Lieutenant Leonhardt, deployed from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., said. The list of specialty training includes diving, lifesaving skills, extrication, hand-to-hand combat and more. And with an 80 percent attrition rate for their technical school, "these men are truly the best of the best in the Air Force."

"These guys are super smart and incredibly skilled," Lieutenant Leonhardt, a native of Fond Du Lac, Wis., said. "They could do anything in the world, but they choose to do this." So that others may live.