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Rescue Airmen: Low density, high demand

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Andre Butler, 33rd Rescue Squadron crew chief, checks the tail of an HH-60 Pave Hawk Sept. 19, 2019, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The HH-60 Pave Hawk has a hoist capable of lifting up to 600 pounds during personnel recovery missions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rhett Isbell)

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Andre Butler, 33rd Rescue Squadron crew chief, checks the tail of an HH-60 Pave Hawk Sept. 19, 2019, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The HH-60 Pave Hawk has a hoist capable of lifting up to 600 pounds during personnel recovery missions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rhett Isbell)

(Left) U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Howard Cowell, 33rd Rescue Squadron crew chief, finishes performing preflight safety checks as Lt. Col. Gabriel Brown, 33rd RQS commander, walks out to an HH-60 Pave Hawk before a flight Sept. 19, 2019, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The HH-60 Pave Hawkhas a hoist capable of lifting up to 600 pounds during personnel recovery missions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rhett Isbell)

(Left) U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Howard Cowell, 33rd Rescue Squadron crew chief, finishes performing preflight safety checks as Lt. Col. Gabriel Brown, 33rd RQS commander, walks out to an HH-60 Pave Hawk before a flight Sept. 19, 2019, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The HH-60 Pave Hawkhas a hoist capable of lifting up to 600 pounds during personnel recovery missions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rhett Isbell)

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Andre Butler, 33rd Rescue Squadron crew chief, walks back to his squadron after completing preflight inspections of an HH-60 Pave Hawk Sept. 19, 2019, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The HH-60 Pave Hawk has a hoist capable of lifting up to 600 pounds during personnel recovery missions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rhett Isbell)

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Andre Butler, 33rd Rescue Squadron crew chief, walks back to his squadron after completing preflight inspections of an HH-60 Pave Hawk Sept. 19, 2019, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The HH-60 Pave Hawk has a hoist capable of lifting up to 600 pounds during personnel recovery missions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rhett Isbell)

A U.S. Air Force HH-60 Pave Hawk crew prepare to land Sept.18, 2019, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The 33rd Rescue Squadron at Kadena AB employs the HH-60 Pave Hawk in personnel recovery. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rhett Isbell)

A U.S. Air Force HH-60 Pave Hawk crew prepare to land Sept.18, 2019, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The 33rd Rescue Squadron at Kadena AB employs the HH-60 Pave Hawk in personnel recovery. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rhett Isbell)

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Keon Miller, 33rd Rescue Squadron special missions aviator instructor, scans for aerial threats Sept. 18, 2019, over Okinawa, Japan. The 33rd RQS maintains a constant state of readiness and trains regularly to ensure mission success when called into action. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rhett Isbell)

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Keon Miller, 33rd Rescue Squadron special missions aviator instructor, scans for aerial threats Sept. 18, 2019, over Okinawa, Japan. The 33rd RQS maintains a constant state of readiness and trains regularly to ensure mission success when called into action. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rhett Isbell)

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Keon Miller, 33rd Rescue Squadron special missions aviator instructor, performs preflight inspections Sept. 18, 2019, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The 33rd RQS specializes in rescuing personnel from hostile or austere situations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rhett Isbell)

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Keon Miller, 33rd Rescue Squadron special missions aviator instructor, performs preflight inspections Sept. 18, 2019, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The 33rd RQS specializes in rescuing personnel from hostile or austere situations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rhett Isbell)

A 33rd Rescue Squadron HH-60 Pave Hawk crew prepare for a flight Sept. 18, 2019, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The 33rd RQS specializes in rescuing personnel from hostile or austere situations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rhett Isbell)

A 33rd Rescue Squadron HH-60 Pave Hawk crew prepare for a flight Sept. 18, 2019, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The 33rd RQS specializes in rescuing personnel from hostile or austere situations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rhett Isbell)

U.S. Air Force Capt. Jordan Barbitta, 33rd Rescue Squadron copilot, performs preflight safety inspection Sept. 18, 2019, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The 33rd RQS specializes in rescuing personnel from hostile or austere situations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rhett Isbell)

U.S. Air Force pilot performs preflight safety inspection Sept. 18, 2019, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The 33rd RQS specializes in rescuing personnel from hostile or austere situations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rhett Isbell)

KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --

The 33rd Rescue Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan, train, plan and execute every day to ensure they have what it takes to help when someone’s life is on the line.

With a motto as succinct as, ‘That others may live’, it’s clear the priority of the 33rd RQS is saving as many people as possible from otherwise dire circumstances no matter the cost to themselves.

“We provide a reliable combat search and rescue platform to aid in exercises and real-world operations in the Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility,” said Airman 1st Class Jack Peterson, 33rd RQS special missions aviator. “I think we give people peace of mind, knowing somebody’s going to come looking for them if they go down.”

Being capable of providing this high-priority service at a moment’s notice doesn’t happen without extensive training to ensure the entire team is prepared for what’s required on a rescue mission.

“We go out and practice regularly,” said Capt. Howard Palmer, 33rd RQS flight commander. “We’ll fly out and train in situation with simulated bad guys where we have to get through them to rescue members."

These training missions also cover many other aspects needed during a real-world rescue such as low-level flying, hoisting, water operations, entering contested environments, and many others the rescue Airmen rely on. Conducting operations with so much on the line requires Airmen to have an unwavering, as well as caring, mindset.

“I decided to go into the rescue mission because it allows me to help people,” Palmer said. “When someone’s having the worst day of their life, you get to be the one that goes in and saves them.”

Airmen from the 33rd RQS have found one thing above all others makes the hard work worth it.

“It’s a small community,” Palmer said. “People have said, ‘Low density, high demand’ and it helps build some pretty strong bonds. I stay because of those bonds and being able to do a mission that means a lot to me.”