Alaska Air National Guard trains with Coast Guard
Guardsmen lowered themselves from helicopters to the deck via fast rope
In the Pacific waters off the Alaskan coast, the US Coast Guard’s Cutter Cypress was joined by the 210th Rescue Squadron (RQS) HH-60G Pave hawk combat search and rescue helicopter.
The Pave Hawk is the only rotary-wing platform in the Department of Defense solely dedicated to combat search and rescue of downed pilots and other isolated US and allied personnel.
During the exercise, ropes were dropped from the helicopter and US Coast Guardsmen from the Maritime Security Response Team (MSRT) West headed down them to the deck.
This operation was overseen by Alaska Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Richard Stout, RQS HH-60 Special Missions Aviator. He had to monitor the helicopter’s position to the cutter, assist the MSRT operators to safely exit, and ensure the ship’s movements were within safety limits.
Alaska Air National Guard Maj. Tyler Seibold, 210th RQS Pave Hawk pilot, said the HH-60 is well-suited to supporting fast rope operations, a core task for 212th Rescue Squadron pararescuemen and combat rescue officers.
The Pave Hawk’s Fast-Rope Insertion Extraction System is a heavy-duty, machined bar bolted into the helicopter’s roof that extends from the doors as an anchor for the ropes. The fast rope allows pararescue to rapidly infiltrate a contested area and quickly carry out a rescue, while the helicopter provides overwatch and support with its GAU-18 .50-caliber machine gun or the 4,000 rounds-per-minute GAU-2 7.62 mm minigun.
Alaska Air National Guard Maj. Paul Rauenhorst, HH-60 pilot and 176th Operations Group Chief of Standards and Evaluations, said a tumultuous sea state throughout the week created a difficult environment: “The rolling seas definitely made it challenging to get the operators off and on the ship in such a confined space,” he said.
Staff Sgt. Stout added: “It’s very challenging because everything is moving, and the situation is very dynamic. Normally, we’re in a stationary hover, but we’re flying at the same speed and heading as the boat, holding position and delivering the operators safely.”
Montana National Guard recently began full-time helicopter operations in Billings.