ANTOFAGASTA, Chile — Members of the 71st Rescue Squadron recently trained with Chilean Air Force special forces to practice personnel recovery techniques.
The team was part of the five-nation SALITRE exercise, which was a cooperative effort meant train members of participating nations in coalition peacekeeping missions, humanitarian operations and disaster response.
The 71st RQS, assigned to the 23rd Wing at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., worked with Chileans from the No. 8 Squadron at Cerro Moreno Air Base in Antofagasta, Chile. They also practiced inserting and retrieving medical teams in remote locations and high-altitude airfield operations in the mountainous terrain of Northern Chile.
Aircraft and personnel from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, France and the United States flew missions over the Atacama Desert as a simulated coalition response to forces within an island nation. In addition, crews operated in a number of designated areas over land and water to practice the skills necessary to integrate into a United Nations-type effort.
The mission profile for many of the exercise rescue sorties was the same; a group of people are in need of immediate medical attention or rescue, the combined Air Force and Fuerza Aerea Chile (FACh) crews respond with Commandos and rescue aircraft such as the HC-130P.
“We’re able to use the HC-130P platform to land at remote airfields after airdropping the pararescue jumpers into an area,” said Capt. James Renner, HC-130P navigator. “They’ll stabilize, treat and ready patients for transport, then we’ll land, load the patients and transport them back to better medical facilities as quickly as possible.”
On many missions, the crew hosted observers from participating nations, media and public affairs support.
“The point of this exercise is to learn from one another and to learn to work together,” said Capt. Renner. “We’ve been lucky to have the chance to meet and get to know other rescue professionals....if we can bring along a C-130 aircrew member to exchange information with us or a local media member to tell the rescue story, then that’s an added benefit to the entire rescue community.”
Staff Sgt. Eduardo Clemente, the team’s independent duty medical technician, took a brief delay in takeoff time to hold an impromptu self-aid and buddy care exchange.
The opportunity to showcase the Air Force’s newest splints, braces and tourniquets to his Chilean counterparts using his native Spanish skills, has been one of the most rewarding parts of the the exercise deployment.
“Chile has many areas with rugged terrain, a long coastline and wilderness regions,” said Sergeant Saldivar. “The rescue personnel I’ve worked with during SALITRE are ready and able to respond anywhere, anytime - the chance to train together in this type of terrain benefits both of our rescue teams.”
During the SALITRE exercise, the HC-130P crew also participated in several community outreach events, including visiting a local hospital, orphanage and exercise ‘open house.’
“It’s a natural extension of our rescue career field to find ways to help people,” said Sergeant Clemente. “We’re fortunate to have been able to participate in this training, and to make a difference in the lives of local citizens in Chile.”
Local News
Related Photos
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Pararescue jumpers from the Fuerza Aerea de Chile or FACh descend to their destination in the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile during SALITRE, a multinational exercise focused on interoperability between Chile, the United States, Argentina, Brazil and France.
Discussion
23rd Wing aircrew in Chile practices rescue ops during SALITRE
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