Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      U.S. Air Force Capt. Zack Martin, 33rd Rescue Squadron pilot, was part of the team to rescue a III Marine Expeditionary Force pilot after he ejected from his AV-8B Harrier Sept. 22, 2016, off the coast of Okinawa, Japan. The pilot ejected safely from his aircraft and was rescued successfully by the 31st and 33rd Rescue Squadrons. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Stephen G. Eigel)US, Japan rescue squadrons save downed pilot
                        
                        
                        Capt. Zack Martin, a 33rd Rescue Squadron pilot, was part of the team that rescued a Marine pilot after he ejected from his AV-8B Harrier Jump Jet Sept. 22, 2016, off the coast of Okinawa, Japan. The pilot ejected safely from his aircraft and was rescued successfully by the 31st and 33rd RQSs. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Stephen G. Eigel)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Austen Carroll, 31st Rescue Squadron pararescueman. poses for a photo Sept. 22, 2016, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. Carroll freefell about 10-feet from the helicopter into the ocean to save a downed pilot. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Scott Fremming)US, Japan rescue squadrons save downed pilot
                        
                        
                        Staff Sgt. Austen Carroll, a 31st Rescue Squadron pararescueman, was part of the team that rescued a Marine pilot after he ejected from his AV-8B Harrier Jump Jet Sept. 22, 2016, off the coast of Okinawa, Japan. Carroll freefell about 10 feet from a helicopter into the Pacific Ocean to save the downed pilot. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Scott Fremming)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Marcus Taylor, 33rd Rescue Squadron special mission’s aviator, was part of the team to rescue a III Marine Expeditionary Force pilot after he ejected from his AV-8B Harrier Sept. 22, 2016, off the coast of Okinawa, Japan. The pilot ejected safely from his aircraft and was rescued successfully by the 31st and 33rd Rescue Squadrons. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Stephen G. Eigel)US, Japan rescue squadrons save downed pilot
                        
                        
                        Staff Sgt. Marcus Taylor, a 33rd Rescue Squadron special mission’s aviator, was part of the team that rescued a Marine pilot after he ejected from his AV-8B Harrier Jump Jet Sept. 22, 2016, off the coast of Okinawa, Japan.  The pilot ejected safely from his aircraft and was rescued successfully by the 31st and 33rd RQSs. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Stephen G. Eigel)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

US, Japan rescue squadrons save downed pilotPublished Sept. 23, 2016
                    
                    By   Staff Sgt. Benjamin Sutton
                    
                    
                    18th Wing Public Affairs
            **KADENA AIR BASE, Japan (AFNS) --**Within 30 minutes of an AV-8B Harrier Jump Jet crash Sept. 22, Airmen from the 31st and 33rd Rescue Squadrons here were in the air and intent on saving the life of a pilot stranded in the Pacific Ocean.The pilot was able to eject from the aircraft before the crash and landed in the cold waters of the Pacific, where he waited for rescue.“We received the notification of an ejection and immediately went into action,” said Capt. Paul Fry, a 31st RQS combat rescue officer. Nearly 30 minutes after the notification, both U.S.  Air Force assets and their partner Japan Self-Defense Forces aircraft were on the scene searching for the downed pilot.“Once we got the call, our helicopter maintenance unit did a great job getting our aircraft ready to go,” said Capt. Zachary Martin, a 33rd RQS pilot. “We can really thank our training for the quick response because as soon as we got the call everyone just fell into their training habit patterns and we went wheels up.”Many different units from across Kadena Air Base came together to get out to the pilot, who was floating in the open ocean, 95 miles off the coast of Hedo Cape.“As soon as we arrived on scene, we saw the survivor and began the process of putting the pararescueman into the water to rescue him,” said Staff Sgt. Marcus Taylor, a 33rd RQS special mission aviator.Once on scene, Carroll freefell about 10 feet from the helicopter into the water and immediately swam to the pilot. While in the water he performed an initial assessment of the pilot to make sure he was OK to be pulled inside the helicopter.“We were able to find him so quickly because our JASDF partners were on scene so quickly with eyes on him,” Carroll said. “Once I assessed he was OK, I got him to the hoist and we pulled him up.”Once the pilot was pulled into the helicopter, he was given immediate medical attention en route to Camp Foster, Japan, where he continued to receive care. “We train a lot for these exact types of missions so anytime we can go out and bring someone back alive, it’s a really good feeling,” Fry said.Japan 



rescue 



joint 



PACAF 



JASDF 



Kadena AB Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fight
                    
                    SecAF Kendall AFA Warfare Symposium Q&A: Reoptimizing for Great Power CompetitionInnovation
                AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalists
                    
                    Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in HawaiiMAJCOM News
                Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander emphasizes five focus areas during AFA Warfare Symposium
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil