1 00:00:00,350 --> 00:00:01,974 (helicopter blades whirring) 2 00:00:01,974 --> 00:00:03,608 (emotional music) 3 00:00:03,608 --> 00:00:05,370 - It is my duty as a Combat Rescue Officer 4 00:00:05,370 --> 00:00:06,890 to save lives and aid the injured. 5 00:00:06,890 --> 00:00:08,870 I'll be prepared to perform my assigned duties 6 00:00:08,870 --> 00:00:10,780 quickly and efficiently, placing these duties 7 00:00:10,780 --> 00:00:12,760 before personal desires and comforts. 8 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:14,991 These things I do, that others may live. 9 00:00:14,991 --> 00:00:18,880 (helicopter blades whirring) 10 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:21,810 We're responsible for personnel recovery across the, 11 00:00:21,810 --> 00:00:23,510 I would say across the entire DoD. 12 00:00:24,580 --> 00:00:27,150 What that generally means is anyone who's isolated, 13 00:00:27,150 --> 00:00:29,690 either here or anywhere across the globe, 14 00:00:29,690 --> 00:00:33,014 if they need assistance, we stand ready to help 'em out. 15 00:00:33,014 --> 00:00:34,830 (helicopter blades whirring) 16 00:00:34,830 --> 00:00:38,030 There's an overarching desire to help and to help people, 17 00:00:38,030 --> 00:00:40,830 whether that's just by helping them get back here, 18 00:00:40,830 --> 00:00:43,080 or whether it's providing them medical capability. 19 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:46,210 We sit on a very short alert window, 20 00:00:46,210 --> 00:00:48,210 and we are able to launch within 30 minutes, 21 00:00:48,210 --> 00:00:50,373 at all times throughout the day and night. 22 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:54,220 We provide that rescue and recovery capability 23 00:00:54,220 --> 00:00:55,110 across the theater. 24 00:00:55,110 --> 00:00:57,890 To the Coalition Forces, to the Joint Force, 25 00:00:57,890 --> 00:01:00,110 and I think the guys get a great amount of satisfaction 26 00:01:00,110 --> 00:01:03,170 from knowing that their actions are directly helping people 27 00:01:03,170 --> 00:01:05,264 get back to their friends and family. 28 00:01:05,264 --> 00:01:07,080 (helicopter blades whirring) 29 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:08,850 The challenge here is the terrain, right. 30 00:01:08,850 --> 00:01:09,860 The altitude. 31 00:01:09,860 --> 00:01:13,360 We're surrounded by mountains, and generally most of the 32 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:15,191 central and northern Afghanistan area 33 00:01:15,191 --> 00:01:16,990 is very high altitudes. 34 00:01:16,990 --> 00:01:19,730 So, that's where the CH-47s can really provide 35 00:01:19,730 --> 00:01:21,780 some special capability because of their ability 36 00:01:21,780 --> 00:01:25,735 to get to that high altitude area and insert the team. 37 00:01:25,735 --> 00:01:28,560 (helicopter blades whirring) 38 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:30,154 The PJs and the Combat Rescue Officers 39 00:01:30,154 --> 00:01:32,070 have a pretty broad skill set, 40 00:01:32,070 --> 00:01:35,220 and it's difficult to stay sharp on all those skills. 41 00:01:35,220 --> 00:01:38,120 So, continuing to keep them engaged through training, 42 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:40,470 it keeps those skills sharp throughout the entire deployment 43 00:01:40,470 --> 00:01:41,710 so that when that call comes, 44 00:01:41,710 --> 00:01:43,420 and we are asked to do our job, 45 00:01:43,420 --> 00:01:45,504 everyone's ready and postured to do that. 46 00:01:45,504 --> 00:01:49,171 (dramatic orchestral music) 47 00:01:52,230 --> 00:01:53,480 Honestly, I'm humbled, right? 48 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:56,460 I mean, we have a lot of young men and women both 49 00:01:56,460 --> 00:02:00,110 assigned to the squadron, and they are taking time away 50 00:02:00,110 --> 00:02:02,030 from their personal lives, and their families, 51 00:02:02,030 --> 00:02:04,940 and their families are making significant sacrifices. 52 00:02:04,940 --> 00:02:06,337 But they all raise their hands and say, 53 00:02:06,337 --> 00:02:07,822 "Yeah, I wanna be on that deployment. 54 00:02:07,822 --> 00:02:10,260 "I want to be a part of that mission overseas." 55 00:02:10,260 --> 00:02:12,720 It is truly humbling to be part of a unit 56 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:14,600 that is that dedicated to the mission. 57 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:18,620 (dramatic orchestral music) 58 00:02:18,620 --> 00:02:20,090 I think it's a great mission. 59 00:02:20,090 --> 00:02:23,770 I think, regardless of how you feel about things over here, 60 00:02:23,770 --> 00:02:26,953 the work that we do, it's meaningful. 61 00:02:27,980 --> 00:02:30,630 We are here to do a great mission, which is again, 62 00:02:30,630 --> 00:02:32,860 bring people home, to recover. 63 00:02:32,860 --> 00:02:35,960 Whether it's fallen personnel, or personnel that are 64 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:37,710 isolated and can't recover themselves, 65 00:02:37,710 --> 00:02:41,050 and I honestly, I believe strongly in the mission. 66 00:02:41,050 --> 00:02:42,400 I've been doing it for 22 years, 67 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:45,390 and that's one of the reasons I still stay engaged 68 00:02:45,390 --> 00:02:46,790 and continue to do the work.