2 Air Force special operations medics receive Silver Star for saving dozens in Afghanistan battles
Paul Szoldra
December 15, 2019 at 04:38 PM
Two Air Force pararescue Airmen were awarded the Silver Star Medal on Friday for saving dozens of lives during separate Afghan battles in 2018 and 2019.
@rangerrebew EXCELLENT news! These guys get nowhere near the recognition they deserve. This happened during a convoy operation,but most people don't realize these people exist to give first aid to,and rescue injured pilots whose aircraft has been shot down. They are usually delivered by helicopter close to the crash site,and either clear an LZ for the chopper to land and retrieve them,or take the pilot/aircrew to a clearing where a helicopter can land. Sometimes the growth is too thick to even rappel out of a hovering helicopter,so they have to ride a "penetrator" down to the ground. This is a very heavy device they can stand on that has a pointed bottom and is designed to penetrate through tree limbs to reach the ground. Any injured aircrew can then be strapped to it,and removed by the helicopter hoist before the pararescue crew go up themselves.
Sometimes they have to parachute in because there is no place near enough for a helicopter to land and/or it's too dangerous for a helicopter to hover,and then give first aid to anyone injured in the shoot down,as well as set up a defensive perimeter and fight to hold the enemy at bay until a larger force can show up.
It takes MAJOR stones to be a pararescue guy,and they get almost no recognition at all for what they do.
