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        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      A HC-130 Combat King lands during a forward arming and refuel point exercise Mar 12, 2015, at Grand Bara, Djibouti. The Combat King provided several smaller airframes a refueling point to help extend their flying distance in preparation to any crisis response mission. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Kevin Iinuma)Alaska Air Guard Supports CJTF-HOA Rescue Missions
                        
                        
                        A HC-130 Combat King lands during a forward arming and refuel point exercise Mar 12, 2015, at Grand Bara, Djibouti. The Combat King provided several smaller airframes a refueling point to help extend their flying distance in preparation to any crisis response mission. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Kevin Iinuma)
                
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        Members from the 81st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron prepare fuel hoses from an HC-130 Combat King as part of a forward arming and refuel point exercise Mar 12, 2015, at Grand Bara, Djibouti. Providing a FARP allowed several smaller airframes to refuel with engines still running, enabling the aircraft to fly missions almost non-stop. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Kevin Iinuma)Alaska Air Guard Supports CJTF-HOA Rescue Missions
                        
                        
                        Members from the 81st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron prepare fuel hoses from an HC-130 Combat King as part of a forward arming and refuel point exercise Mar 12, 2015, at Grand Bara, Djibouti. Providing a FARP allowed several smaller airframes to refuel with engines still running, enabling the aircraft to fly missions almost non-stop. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Kevin Iinuma)
                
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        U.S. and French military members prepare fuel hoses from an HC-130 Combat King as part of a forward arming and refueling point exercise Mar 12, 2015, at Grand Bara, Djibouti . Providing a FARP allowed several smaller airframes to refuel with engines still running, enabling the aircrafts to fly missions almost non-stop. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Kevin Iinuma)Alaska Air Guard Supports CJTF-HOA Rescue Missions
                        
                        
                        U.S. and French military members prepare fuel hoses from an HC-130 Combat King as part of a forward arming and refueling point exercise Mar 12, 2015, at Grand Bara, Djibouti . Providing a FARP allowed several smaller airframes to refuel with engines still running, enabling the aircrafts to fly missions almost non-stop. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Kevin Iinuma)
                
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        Airmen from the 303rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron conduct a casualty evacuation exercise in conjunction with a refueling exercise with the 81st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron Mar 12, 2015, at Grand Bara, Djibouti .  The 81st ERQS provided a forward arming and refueling point allowing the 303rd ERQS to refuel the HH-60 Pave Hawk with engines still running, enabling them to fly missions almost non-stop. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Kevin Iinuma)Alaska Air Guard Supports CJTF-HOA Rescue Missions
                        
                        
                        Airmen from the 303rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron conduct a casualty evacuation exercise in conjunction with a refueling exercise with the 81st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron Mar 12, 2015, at Grand Bara, Djibouti .  The 81st ERQS provided a forward arming and refueling point allowing the 303rd ERQS to refuel the HH-60 Pave Hawk with engines still running, enabling them to fly missions almost non-stop. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Kevin Iinuma)
                
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        Members from the 81st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron and 303rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron refuel an HH-60 Pave Hawk during a forward arming and refueling exercise in Grand Bara, Djibouti on Mar 12, 2015. Providing a FARP assisted the Pave Hawk to refuel with engines still running, enabling them to fly missions almost non-stop. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Kevin Iinuma)Alaska Air Guard Supports CJTF-HOA Rescue Missions
                        
                        
                        Members from the 81st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron and 303rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron refuel an HH-60 Pave Hawk during a forward arming and refueling exercise in Grand Bara, Djibouti on Mar 12, 2015. Providing a FARP assisted the Pave Hawk to refuel with engines still running, enabling them to fly missions almost non-stop. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Kevin Iinuma)
                
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Alaska Air Guard Supports CJTF-HOA Rescue MissionsPublished March 19, 2015
                    
                    By Staff Sgt. Kevin Iinuma
                    
                    
                    CJTF-HOA Public Affairs Office
            **CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti (AFNS) --**There is a team made entirely of Alaska Air National Guard Airmen, who are trained to take any lead during rescue operations in order to report, locate, support, and recover isolated personnel to save lives by placing others before themselves.
  
The 81st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron is one of the three Expeditionary Rescue Squadrons assigned to the 449th Air Expeditionary Group in support of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. The squadron is the epitome of the Total Force Integration, providing seamless operations between Active Duty, Guard and Reserve forces.
“Whether or not you’re a Guard unit, the Air Force is still the Air Force,” said Lt. Col. Alexys Lang, the 81st ERQS director of operations and an HC-130 navigator.  “We bring a flying squadron that looks like any other Air Force flying squadron and we are tasked to execute and solve the same problems.” 
The Airmen of the 81st ERQS are trained to conduct full spectrum personnel recovery missions to include combat search and rescue, casualty evacuation, and non-combatant evacuation operations in the East Africa area of interest or anywhere around the world.
  
Their willingness to put themselves in harm’s way to aid others is reflected in their creed: “These things we do, that others may live.”
The 81st ERQS utilizes their airframe, the HC-130 Combat King, to provide a personnel recovery capability in support of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. Capabilities of the HC-130 and aircrew include helicopter air-to-air refueling, communications relay, night vision googles operations, airdrop, forward area refueling point (FARP), and battlefield illumination operations.
  
“We have outstanding professionals and a unique mission here at the 81st,” said Lt. Col. Eric Budd, the 81st ERQS commander and an HC-130 pilot. “By joining capabilities with the other PR Task Force partners—the 303rd and 82nd ERQS—we have the ability to go out, pick up a survivor and bring them back for advanced care.”
With East Africa being a very large theater compared to the U.S., approximately 2.4 million square miles, range is a significant challenge for any military operation.  The Combat King’s extended range and endurance are particularly well suited for the CJTF-HOA joint operating area.
   
Executing a rapid response in austere conditions requires these elite service members to always be prepared and ready to go wherever they are needed.  The 81st ERQS maintains their capabilities by running through multiple scenarios with their team of pilots, flight engineers, navigators, radio operators, load masters and maintenance crew, each with a unique skill that is needed to make the mission a success.
Unlike active duty members who constantly change bases, these Air National Guard Airmen are permanently based at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. They hone their skill sets through mission rehearsals and prosecute more real-world rescue missions than any other HC-130 rescue unit, averaging one mission—and one life saved—a week.
   
“It’s very rewarding to know that all that training is validated, and that all search and rescues that we do, translates to everything we do here,” said Lang.
The combined capabilities of CJTF-HOA and 81st ERQS provide a crisis response team capable of responding at a moment’s notice. This capability enables regional actors to neutralize violent extremist organizations and allows regional access and freedom of movement within East Africa in order to protect and defend U.S. interests and support our aligned regional efforts.
These airmen are proud of their role and the capabilities they provide; as Lt Col Budd stated, “The bottom line is, we are here to save lives.”rescue missions 



CJTF-HOA 



Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa 



Camp Lemonnier 



Djibouti 



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