From PEDRO to JOLLY: the story of the green giants

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. Konstantinos Thanos
  • 48th Operations Group Chief Enlisted Manager
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  In 2005, Colonel Lee dePalo, an HH-60G Pave Hawk pilot, said: "The success of the mission was attributable to the bravery of the highly trained aircrews more than to any unique equipment on board the helicopters."

Although, he said this recently, I would be willing to bet similar sentiments have been expressed many times before. However, it may surprise some people to know that he was talking about Air Force Airmen flying Air Force helicopters.

Ask anyone what comes to mind when they think of the United States Air Force, and they may conjure up images of fighter pilots soaring through enemy skies in the face of overwhelming odds, shooting down enemy fighters. Or they may think of some sort of high stakes space mission with a string of Air Force players from the deep reaches of our solar system to the mission control on the ground. For an isolated few, the one image, over any other, is helicopters going forth, alone and unafraid, to expertly perform the most flexible missions any time and any place.

Helicopter operations don't exactly fit into the "standard" Air Force model. As a matter of fact, when any of our career enlisted aviators, pararescuemen or pilots that fly aboard these "whirly birds" come into contact with the base populace, they get a cocked head reaction ... they're like unicorns, everyone's heard of them, but no one has actually seen one.

Combat search and rescue had its beginning in April 1944, when an Army Airfield helicopter rescued a downed pilot and three wounded British soldiers behind Japanese lines in Burma. Throughout the Vietnam Conflict years, CSAR matured in the role of personnel recovery. There were numerous squadrons with a myriad of different airframes. Then, aircrews flying HH-43, HH-3, SH-19 and HH-53 helicopters made their way deep into enemy territory, and placed themselves in the line of direct fire to recover isolated personnel or downed aircrew. The aircrew, performing under the call sign "PEDRO," did so with basic "stick and rudder" equipment, and were supported by crack support and maintenance teams that employed bubblegum and bailing wire fixes to engines and equipment in hopes of dragging their tired airframes on to complete "just one more mission."

All missions were performed with equipment that was virtually unchanged since the first helicopter was used in the China-Burma Theater in 1943; the only real differences between the helicopters were power plant and aircraft size. The main ingredients for successful missions were instinct, courage, and crew coordination ... the basic recipe for CSAR that has remained unchanged for 67 years.

Today, there exist six active duty and five Air Reserve Component HH-60 CSAR squadrons.

The 56th Rescue Squadron is our resident CSAR squadron; it is located in the Green Zone, on the other side of the flight line, tucked neatly on the munitions storage side of base. There, 75 yards across the taxiway, you'll find yourself in "The Valley of the Jolly Green Giants." This "Valley" is home to the many men and women who make the United States Air Forces Europe commitment to CSAR possible.

Although the smallest rescue squadron in the Air Force, it's one with a huge heraldry and rich tradition. The 56 RQS's history began in 1952 where it was involved in search and rescue operations spanning Southern Europe and the North African regions. The unit saw action in Vietnam through the mid '70s, performing combat recovery and local search and rescue. The 56 RQS eventually settled in Keflavik, Iceland; while there, the squadron was credited with numerous sea rescues in support of the Iceland Defense Force until 2006, when it relocated to RAF Lakenheath.

For the past five years, the 56th RQS has continued to bolster its rich heritage. Recently, this unit has been involved in two civilian sea rescues, one of which involved a distressed Burmese mariner, 250 miles off the coast of Ireland. In 2009, the unit's personnel deployed to combat for the first time since the '70s. While deployed, they've been involved in countless combat rescue and recovery missions, holding continuous alert and performing their duty, sometimes under direct enemy fire.

As we begin 2010, this unit has continued to deliver. They've built a great working relationship with our British hosts. They've dazzled our French CSAR counterparts on a recent pre-deployment training operation in Cazaux, and are once again, preparing to venture back to Operation Enduring Freedom to take the reins from another CSAR team ... and continue the round-the-clock alert posture.

Over there, in austere conditions, in "The Valley of the Jolly Green Giants," these men and women stand vigilant, ready to recover our comrades in arms. This time, under the call sign "JOLLY", still with basic "stick and rudder" equipment and supported by crack support and maintenance teams, and still depending primarily on instinct, courage, and crew coordination.

These things we do...That others may live.