[MilCom] Re: NavNews for Friday, May 28, 2004

[Mike Riffle]

Several monitors here in the southeast heard comms related to the rescue.
I had THUMPER (E-3) relaying comms bewtween RESCUE 400 and CG/RESCUE 2118
(HU-25) on 399.8 around 1900z. FYI, Lt. Col. Patrick Marshall is the 1st
Fighter Squadron commander.

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123007783
http://www.wctv6.com/home/headlines/788567.html

Mike Riffle
Cataula, GA

----- Original Message ----- 
"Greg Brazil" <baycomm at earthlink.net> wrote:

> Hey, you Fl guys catch this?
> Greg (SF Bay Area)
> >                                    -USN-
> > 
> >  NNS040528-08. NAS Pensacola Helicopter Support Unit
> >  Assists Downed Pilot
> > 
> >  By Sheri L. Crowe, Naval Air Station Pensacola Public Affairs
> > 
> >  NAVAL AIR STATION PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) --
> >  Personnel from the Naval Air Station Pensacola (NASP)
> >  Helicopter Support Unit (HSU) aboard the station's Rescue 400
> >  UH-3H Sea King rendered assistance May 21 to a downed Air
> >  Force F-15C Eagle pilot. 
> > 
> >  The fighter jet crashed before noon along the Florida Panhandle,
> >  20 nautical miles southeast of Carrabelle Thompson. The pilot,
> >  Lt. Col. Patrick Marshall, successfully ejected without sustaining
> >  serious injuries. 
> > 
> >  The NASP Rescue 400 crew received the call for help at 12:30
> >  p.m., and 15 minutes later was airborne en route to the scene
> >  some 150 miles away, where other emergency rescue personnel
> >  were present. 
> > 
> >  A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
> >  (FFWCC) patrol boat near the St. George Island Coast was on
> >  scene to rescue Marshall. Also on scene circling above were two
> >  F-15s, a Coast Guard Falcon jet and a Coast Guard C-130. 
> > 
> >  "The whole evolution went unscathed," said pilot Cmdr. Michael
> >  Holdener. "We did everything right. We evaluated all the
> >  information and were ahead of the whole game. We went there
> >  and checked out what they (the on-scene commander) wanted
> >  us to do."
> > 
> >  Holdener said the hour-and-10-minute flight there gave them
> >  plenty of time to plan for their mission, which was landing
> >  pierside near the FFWCC boat to retrieve the pilot, perform a
> >  quick medical evaluation, and then transport him to the Tyndall
> >  Air Force Base for a thorough medical check-up.
> > 
> >  Although the NASP HSU Rescue team, who are known as
> >  quick responders from call to launch, weren't the first on-scene
> >  responders, they traveled the distance to MEDEVAC Marshall
> >  and reunite him with family. This entailed flying at a ground speed
> >  of about 135-136 mph (with tail wind), climbing up to 500 feet
> >  and accessing communication frequencies to discover
> >  information pertaining to the downed pilot.
> > 
> >  "I was stoked that everything went off without a hitch," said
> >  rescue swimmer Aviation Electrician's Mate 2nd Class Anthony
> >  Robinson, whose rescue swimming services weren't needed.
> >  "I've done plenty of MEDEVACs, but this was my first rescue
> >  attempt. I'm so glad that he's in good condition and is alive."
> > 
> >  Once NASP Rescue 400 landed, Marshall was greeted by
> >  applauding squadron members, and hugged by his wife and
> >  child. 
> > 
> >  The F-15C was assigned to the 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall
> >  Air Force Base, near Panama City.
> > 
> >  For related news, visit the Naval Air Station Pensacola Navy
> >  NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/naspensacola.