Here's how you know
 **Official websites use .mil** .mil
 **Secure .mil websites use HTTPS** lock () https://


Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 Toggle navigation
            
            
            
            
            National Guard
                        Always Ready Always There
                    National Guard
            
            Search National Guard:
                        Search
                    Search
                        Search National Guard:
                            Search
    Home

    News
    
        Guard News

    Overseas Operations

    State Partnership Program

    News Features

    RSS Feeds

    Press Releases

    Transcripts

    Features
    
        Features by Year

    Posture Statement

    State Partnership Program

    Special Features

    About the Guard
    
        How We Began

    Air National Guard

    Army National Guard    
    
        DEERS Soldier Journey

    Leader Development Program

    History and Heritage

    I am the Guard

    NGB Official March

    Leadership
    
        CNGB

    VCNGB

    SEA

    DANG

    DARNG

    Joint Staff    
    
        J-1

    J-2

    J-3

    J-4

    J-5

    J-6

    J-7

    J-8

    Personal Staff    
    
        Inspector General

    General Counsel

    Public Affairs

    Executive Support Services

    Legislative Liaison

    Special Staff    
    
        National Guard Office of Special Victims' Counsel

    Office of the Provost Marshal

    Office of the Joint Surgeon

    Director of Acquisitions

    Small Business Programs

    Chaplain

    Senior Leader Management Office

    Diversity Equity Inclusion

    Comptroller

    Resources    
        National Defense Strategy Implementation Guidance

    Community Engagement

    FOIA

    Fact Sheets

    Helpful Links

    Image Gallery
    
        News Images

    Graphics

    Historical Paintings

    Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

    Legislative Liaison

    Small Business Programs

    Social Media

    State Websites

    Videos    
    
        Featured Videos

    On Every Front

    2019 Videos

    2020 Videos

    2021 Videos

    Suicide Prevention

    Family Programs

    Environmental

    Trial Defense Service

    Holistic Wellness Challenge

    Contact Us  Home
  News
  Article View
 
 Download
 Details
 Share
 Download
 Details
 Share
 NEWS
 NY 106th Rescue Wing Airmen Played Role in Thai Cave Rescue By Airman 1st Class Sarah McKernan,
                106th Rescue Wing/Public Affairs
 NEW YORK – Wearing shorts and a T-shirt, with stubble on his chin, Tech. Sgt. Jamie Brisbin, a pararescueman now assigned to the New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing, remembers arriving in Okinawa, Japan, and boarding a waiting C-130 to head to a flooded cave in Thailand June 27, 2018. As depicted in the Amazon Prime film “Thirteen Lives,” a Thai soccer team of 12 boys aged 11 to 16 and their 25-year-old coach were exploring Tham Luang Cave when monsoon rains caused it to flood and trap them. At the time, Brisbin was a pararescueman with the 31st Rescue Squadron at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa. Brisbin and Lt. Col. Stephen Rush, a flight surgeon commanding the 106th Medical Group, were among the U.S. military personnel who helped make the dramatic rescue possible. After arriving at the mouth of the cave at 2 a.m. June 28, with 30 other Airmen assigned to the 353rd Special Operations Group, Brisbin asked to be taken to the farthest part of the cave accessible without diving to determine the terrain. It was immediately evident this was a chaotic, constantly changing situation that did not look good, Brisbin said. “A lot of times, it’s a strong possibility that you’re doing a body recovery, you’re not doing a rescue,” Brisbin said. But when a team of British cave divers discovered the boys 2.5 miles into the cave, things looked better, Brisbin recalled. “But finally, they found all these kids, miraculously still alive after nine days with no food, no light and contaminated water. That was a critical turning point for us,” he said. With nine chambers between the patients and the cave exit, it would take extensive planning and focus to evacuate the children safely. On July 4, 2018, halfway around the world, Rush received a phone call from Master Sgt. Derek Anderson in Thailand. Anderson, the senior enlisted leader on the rescue mission, was calling for Rush’s input and expertise. Rush was the highest-ranking military medical resource involved for the Americans. He was able to tap into his network of medical and diving experts across the nation to help determine strategies to rescue the children. With input from a pediatric anesthesiologist who was an Air Force flight surgeon, the New York City fire department dive team commander and his medical experience and knowledge of pararescue operations, Rush offered critical advice on how to proceed. Most of the children could not swim and were weakened due to a lack of food and clean water. It was decided the patients would be sedated for extraction from the cave. Keeping the patients sedated reduced the chance of something going wrong should a child panic underwater, such as a patient’s scuba mask getting dislodged. Plastic stretchers were also used, allowing the kids to be hooked to ropes and pulleys to traverse vertical rescue-type conditions throughout the labyrinth of the cave. The Thai leadership on site wanted to know the United States supported launching the mission, Rush said. Rush provided that assurance. Everything had to be planned in precise detail, and every person knew exactly what area of the cave they were going to be working in, Brisbin recalled. As an avid cave diver outside the military, Brisbin was one of a very small group capable of accomplishing the task. As the pararescueman with the most cave diving expertise, Brisbin fully understood the risks the team was taking to save these children and their coach. Divers were stationed at the nine cave chambers that lay between life and death for the soccer team. Brisbin was between chambers two and three, near the cave’s opening. He and Tech. Sgt. John Merchand, a fellow 31st Rescue Squadron pararescueman, were in a partially submerged narrow tunnel approximately 2 feet wide and 100 to 150 feet long. Their task was to move the boys from chamber three to two with zero visibility. With 13 divers stationed at the chambers in the cave, it took approximately nine hours to lead four boys per day to safety, Brisbin recalled. Over 90 divers from around the world were stationed throughout the cave to perform medical checkups and resupply air tanks. Rush advised that pediatric anesthesiologists or pediatric emergency physicians meet the patients when they emerged from the cave to provide advanced resuscitation capabilities if needed. “I can’t emphasize enough that there are a handful of people in the world like PJs who can support a rescue like this,” Rush said. “There is literally only one organization in the world that trains to this level as rescue specialists, that can do this totality of rescue specialized operations, and it is an honor for me to support these guys. They are amazing human beings,” he said. After 18 days and an arduous three-day extraction, all 13 team members were rescued. “I feel really proud that I was chosen. That my leadership thought, ‘Bring this guy, he’s going to help make a difference,’” Brisbin said. “I also have a lot of pride in just being a part of this community.”
 SHARE
 PRINT
  New York Air National Guard
 106th Rescue Wing
 31st Rescue Squadron
 Thailand
 pararescuemen
 
 New York’s 109th Airlift Wing Begins 2024 Greenland Missions
 By Tech. Sgt. Madison Scaringe,
  New York Air Guard Transports Special Operations Forces
 By Tech. Sgt. Madison Scaringe,
  New York Air Guard Members Recognized for Lifesaving Actions
 By Maj. Suzanne Jedrosko,
  More
 Air National Guard Conducts Sentry Savannah Exercise Guard News • 18 hours ago
 Hawaii Air National Guard Hosts Sentry Aloha Joint Exercise Guard News • 20 hours ago
 National Guard, US Army North, FEMA Train for Hurricane Response Guard News • 20 hours ago
 Cal Air Guard F-15 Pilots Train with Marine Corps F-35 Pilots Guard News • 21 hours ago
 Tennessee Guard Rescues Hiker in Great Smoky Mountains Park Guard News • 3 days ago
 2024 (193)  2023 (427)  2022 (526)  2021 (697)  2020 (936)  2019 (387)  2018 (323)  2017 (346)  2016 (245)  2015 (356)  2014 (399)  2013 (469)  2012 (556)  2011 (533)  2010 (1071)  2009 (357)  2008 (638)  2007 (295)  2006 (188)
 Home
 Site Map
 Privacy & Security Policy
 Link Disclaimer
 Web Policy
 DOD Information Quality
 DOD Open GovernmentFOIA
 No FEAR Act
 Accessibility/Section 508
 Contact Us
 Army Guard Careers
 Air Guard Careers
 USA.gov
                    
Staying Connected
    XYouTubeFlickrFacebookInstagram
                 
                
                

Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil