Free Republic

6/22/2010 - SAN ANTONIO (AFNS) -- More than 20 pararescuemen, active duty, retired and prior service, donned their service dress uniforms, with boots and maroon berets, and fell into formation. Local freedom riders holding American flags lined the street of the funeral procession. As their fallen commrade's remains arrived and were retrieved by honor guard members, the formation saluted him. On a bright sunny afternoon in San Antonio, the mood is far from light on this day as pararescuemen from across the U.S. paid their final respects to their fallen comrade, Tech. Sgt. Michael Flores, in a funeral ceremony at...

8/10/2009 - JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq (AFNS) -- "Is she alive?" "Copy. Still alive." The pararescuemen loaded their patient onto a litter and carried her off to the safety of an awaiting vehicle. But the mission wasn't over. This mission never really ends. Pararescuemen played out this scene during a crisis-action scenario Aug. 2 at Joint Balad Base. It is one of the many exercise employed by Air Force pararescuemen, the only members of the Department of Defense assigned the primary mission of recovery and medical treatment of personnel in friendly and hostile environments. "Readiness is a major Air Force...

"Isolated, behind enemy lines or far out in front of advancing friendly armies, a combat controller might be tasked with coordinating an air strike on an enemy air-defense position. Equipped with special range-finding binoculars, a palm-top computer, a GPS (global positioning system) receiver, and a rifle, the airmen can clandestinely spot the target, direct an attacking pilot to it, and then leap on a motorcycle and race toward another target where he will repeat the process."