From the Editor: Over the last two days, the Coast Guard and California Air National Guard have worked together to conduct a long-range medevac 1,400 miles southwest of San Diego.

A Coast Guard C-130 Hercules aircraft, from Air Station Sacramento flew five Pararescueman, from the 129th Rescue Wing California Air National Guard at Moffett Air Field, to conduct a medevac of a 57-year-old male off the sailing vessel Wind Child. Once on scene with the sailing vessel the C-130 aircrew deployed the California Air National Guard Pararescueman.

Before posting some pictures of the medevac, I wanted to answer the question, what is a Pararescueman? I thought the best place to go was the source, http://ParaRescue.com. Here’s how they describe them:

Saving lives, both military and civilian, is what being a PARARESCUEMAN is all about. Because of the unique nature of this job, pararescuemen receive exceptional training and qualification in a variety of combat, search and rescue and medical support expertise. Also known as PJs, this group of Air Force elite is the only one in the Department of Defense specifically trained and equipped to conduct conventional and unconventional rescue processes, making them the ideal force to handle personnel recovery and combat search and rescue operations. To accomplish this mission, PJ’s deploy around the world via the air, land and sea into a wide range of environments to extract, treat, stabilize and evacuate injured personnel. Additionally, Pararescuemen are among the most highly trained emergency trauma specialists in the U.S. military and they must earn and maintain an emergency medical technician paramedic qualification throughout their careers. This medical and rescue expertise, along with their deployment capabilities, allows PJs to perform life-saving missions anywhere in the world, at any time. Their motto, “That Others May Live,” reaffirms the PJ’s commitment to saving lives and self-sacrifice. Without PJs, thousands of service members and civilians would have been unnecessarily lost in past conflicts and natural disasters.

Coast Guard Lieutenant Jack Rittichier was an exchange pilot serving with the U.S. Air Force 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron in Vietnam. He lost his life on June 9, 1968 while attempting to rescue the pilot of a downed Marine aircraft. Also killed when their helicopter was shot down by enemy fire were, the copilot, Captain Richard C. Yeend, Jr., USAF, the flight engineer, Staff Sergeant Elmer L. Holden, USAF, and the pararescue jumper Sergeant James D. Locker, USAF.. The PJ’s and Coasties have a lot in common, both go into dangerous situations, putting their lives on the line, in order to save the lives of total strangers.

Here are a few pictures of the deployment.

For more information about Lt Rittichier visit the Coast Guard Historian.

For more information on the USAF Pararescuemen, visit this site.