AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy -- The 57th Rescue Squadron performed jump training over the Adriatic Sea and Aviano Air Base, Italy Jan. 12-13, 2022. The overall mission of the 57th RQS is to conduct personnel combat search and recovery in the European Command Area of Responsibility.
Pararescuemen assigned to the 57th RQS trained in both military free fall and static line jumps over land and sea. Static is usually performed at a lower altitude than free fall and involves a line that is attached to the aircraft and the parachute, causing the parachute to deploy upon jumping.
“Jumping gives us a flexible option to employ rescue forces to reach isolated personnel.” said 1st Lt Jason Hill, 57th RQS Assistant flight commander and combat rescue officer. “It gives us the means to reach them that other units don't have. So without this capability it would limit the options available to commanders to conduct rescues for the Air Force.”
Pararescuemen integrate with the 56th RQS using their HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters as well as C-130s assigned to the 37th Airlift squadron, Ramstein Air Base to accomplish various trainings.
Training ensures the 57th RQS is in a constant state of readiness. Integrating with different units during training allows all units to maintain the ability to perform missions whenever and wherever.
“We’re gonna do whatever we can do to go save people. Doesn't matter where they are, that's why we are well trained in a variety of means. We can jump in, we can drive in, we can air land a helicopter, we can dive in.”
“The mission is to rescue people by any means,” said Hill. “It falls back onto our creed ‘These things we do so others may live.’”