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Posted on 04/05/2026 12:39:05 PM PDT by MeanWestTexan
When the first reports came on Friday of the downing of an American F-15 fighter jet over Iran with two pilots – the US military tasked the impossible mission of retrieving a pilot and navigator from behind enemy lines with the US Air Force Pararescue, commonly known as the “PJs.”
The PJs serve as the Pentagon’s ultimate insurance policy. Operating under the motto “So That Others May Live,” these elite specialists are trained to go where no one else can, often under heavy fire and in the most inhospitable environments on earth.
“It’s one of the elite and really not very well known elements of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC),” said Marc Polymeropoulos, a former senior intelligence service officer with the CIA. “This is, of course, the most elite forces in the US, and they are trained in doing the impossible, which often is going behind the lines to recover downed aviators or downed US military or intelligence community personnel.”
The concept of a dedicated pararescue force traces its roots back to the end of World War II. After numerous Allied aircraft were lost in the dense jungles of Southeast Asia, the US military realized it needed a specialized force of “paramedic-commandos” capable of rescuing personnel from cliffs, snow, jungle, and sea.
These days, every member of the unit is a certified paramedic, capable of providing life-saving medical care in the heat of battle.
Over 12,000 combat rescue missions completed “A key part of the PJs’ mission is that if they’re going after a missing US serviceman or woman, they can actually provide medical care as well,” Polymeropoulos noted, highlighting the extensive medical training that separates the PJs from other special operations units.
(Excerpt) Read more at jpost.com ...
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No DEIs or dudes in dresses among that bunch.
Congratulations to our military heroes!
God will continue to be with you all.
Here is another part of the Air Force if you haven’t seen history’s only Medal of Honor action captured on video.
Combat Controller: The Final Moments of John Chapman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0p9gy30L8Y
Remember these guys when you talk about the “Chair Force”.
PJ’s in Purple Berets....
.
Sorry John Wayne
take a back seat.
Don’t know what that means.
These guys go through a ridiculous amount of training and proficiency training-from airdrop, mountain climbing, ice climbing, arctic operations, scuba and they go through actual paramedic training on top of that.
I always just called them “zoomies” as we lumbered along in our helo getting shot at, picking their targets for them.
No one Does but no Disrespect
To John Wayne.
.
Pararescue wear Purple Berets.
I met some when in
The “Chair Force”.
Last time I worked with them they were maroon.
These guys are hella impressive. Where I was stationed we used to see the PJ's in the morning running to breakfast in formation with a telephone pole under their arms.
The stories of their ancestors rescuing downed pilots in North Vietnam were hair raising.
Great, big, giant stones on those men.
Years ago there was a fantastic display and short film of those guys in the old Aerospace Museum in San Diego. It was always one of my favorites when I visited there.
The baddest of the bad doing what they do best.
Isn’t the Chair Force the FReyore brigade.
William Hart Pitsenbarger
https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/william-h-pitsenbarger
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Airman First Class Pitsenbarger distinguished himself by extreme valor on 11 April 1966 near Cam My, Republic of Vietnam, while assigned as a pararescue Crew Member, Detachment 6, 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron. On that date, Airman Pitsenbarger was aboard a rescue helicopter responding to a call for evacuation of casualties incurred in an ongoing firefight between elements of the United States Army’s 1st Infantry Division and a sizeable enemy force approximately 35 mile east of Saigon. With complete disregard for personal safety, Airman Pitsenbarger volunteered to ride a hoist more than one hundred feet through the jungle, to the ground. On the ground, he organized and coordinated rescue efforts, cared for the wounded , prepared casualties for evacuation, and insured that the recovery operation continued in a smooth and orderly fashion. Through his personal efforts, the evacuation of the wounded was greatly expedited. As each of the nine casualties evacuated that day was recovered, Airman Pitsenbarger refused evacuation in order to get more wounded soldiers to safety. After several pick-ups, one of the two rescue helicopters involved in the evacuation was struck by heavy enemy ground fire and was forced to leave the scene for an emergency landing. Airman Pitsenbarger stayed behind on the ground to perform medical duties. Shortly thereafter, the area came under sniper and mortar fire. During a subsequent attempt to evacuate the site, American forces came under heavy assault by a large Viet Cong force. When the enemy launched the assault, the evacuation was called off and Airman Pitsenbarger took up arms with the besieged infantrymen. He courageously resisted the enemy, braving intense gunfire to gather and distribute vital ammunition to American defenders. As the battle raged on, he repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to care for the wounded, pulled them out of the line of fire, and return fire whenever he could, during which time he was wounded three times. Despite his wounds, he valiantly fought on, Simultaneously treating as many wounded as possible. In the vicious fighting that followed, the American forces suffered 80 percent casaulties as their perimeter was breached, and Airman Pitsenbarger was fatally wounded. Airman Pitsenbarger exposed himself to almost certain death by staying on the ground, and perished while saving the lives of wounded infantrymen. His bravery and determination exemplify the highest professional standards and traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Air Force.
motto “So That Others May Live”
Fantastic
“Here are some of the type.”
They sure don’t look like the cast of a Netflix movie, do they?
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