Air Force Personnel Recovery as a Service Core Function: It's Not Your Father's Combat Search and Rescue
Abstract
After 50 collective years in and around the superb community of rescue Airmen, both authors have experienced and witnessed the boundless passion for saving lives a passion that motivates the uniquely skilled Airmen of personnel recovery (PR) to endure great sacrifices for others during peace and war across the globe. It remains a privilege and true honor to personally know most of the selfless and amazing Airmen who share a zeal for a principle conveyed by the rescue motto These things we do, that others may live. Stories abound of gallant heroes performing astonishing acts to save just one life, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of those who benefit personally or operationally from the effects produced by one of our nation s moral imperatives. Legendary Airmen such as A1C William Pitsenbarger, recipient of the Medal of Honor, and SrA Jason Cunningham, recipient of the Air Force Cross, along with others who anonymously risk life and limb, put themselves in harm s way to save someone else. In light of such a legacy of sacrifice and heroism, why do so few people outside the rescue community understand the tremendous value that PR brings and will bring to America s current and future fights? The answer is simple: many individuals across the Department of Defense (DOD), Airmen included,remain unaware of these things we do, failing to appreciate sufficiently the complexities of PR and therefore not understanding that it is most certainly not your father s combat search and rescue (CSAR).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA551025
Entities
People
- Glenn H. Hecht
- Kenneth E. Todorov
Organizations
- Air and Space Power Journal