# Inside Combat Rescue - National Geographic Channel  Feb 13



## Rifleman62 (29 Jan 2013)

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/01/04/new-series-inside-combat-rescue-to-premiere-in-february-on-national-geographic-channel/163854/

*New Series 'Inside Combat Rescue' to Premiere in February on National Geographic Channel*

Network TV Press Releases - Written By Sara Bibel - January 4th, 2013

National Geographic Channel Embeds With PJs on a Four-Month Deployment in the New Series Inside Combat Rescue

“I have no problem sacrificing myself for someone else. It’s my job.”

Inside Combat Rescue premieres February 2013 on the National Geographic Channel

(Washington, D.C. – January 4, 2013) When a soldier is down and time is running out, an elite unit of Air Force rescue warriors will risk their own lives to rescue those injured and clinging to life. In Afghanistan and around the world, Pararescuemen or PJs; their leaders, Combat Rescue officers; and their PaveHawk helicopter teammates fly into the heat of battle, often facing imminent enemy threats, to save the critically wounded. They’re part warrior, part guardian angel, part medic and ALL hero.

Now, for the first time in history, the United States Air Force is allowing cameras to follow these highly skilled airmen, with advanced medical training, to war.From the network that brought viewers the award-winning documentary Restrepo as well as Inside the Green Berets, the National Geographic Channel joins these guardian Angels on the front lines during a four-month deployment to Kandahar, Afghanistan. Inside Combat Rescue, premiering in February 2013, takes viewers inside the harrowing world of the brave airmen who put their lives on the line so, as their motto says “that others may live.” From heroic acts of bravery in the field to training, pranks and comradery back at base, the series offers a 360-degree view of this band of brothers. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com and follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NGC_PR.

Ready to respond at a moment’s notice, PJs and their rescue teammates race against time to save Americans, coalition forces, Afghan allies and even local Afghan families caught in the crossfire within the “golden hour,” the critical first hour that’s often the difference between life and death. NGC cameras witness every heart-pounding step of the mission: from the moment real-time intel of the wounded streams into the operations center, and the PJs “scramble” to launch within minutes of the call; as they take on enemy fire and land in areas with heavy insurgent activity; while they rush to stop an amputee from bleeding out during air transport and then download the surgical staff at the nearest hospital; to the debrief back at base.

With strategically placed cameras on airmen’s helmets and more than 40 cameras mounted both inside and outside of the Air Force’s HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, NGC joins more than two dozen active missions, capturing each heart-pounding, unfiltered moment of war as never before.

See PJs performing advanced medical procedures in the cramped confines of a helicopter flying at full throttle. Watch as pilots, surrounded by gunshots and explosions, fly fast and low to evade Taliban gunners and possible rocket launchers. Feel the pain and raw emotion of an injured soldier holding on to life after stepping on an improvised explosive device (IED).

Back at base, brighter moments shed light on the personal side of these soldiers. Water-balloon pranks, Star Wars sheets that bring a reminder of home and a remote-controlled helicopter help these men decompress from the horrors they witness and prepare for the next mission. Heartfelt Skype sessions with family members and care packages from home remind them what they are fighting for.

One airman or PJ, Trevor, on his third deployment, writes in his journal, “I hope in the coming months, we’ll continue to get chances to make a difference. I hope that when someone is out there, on the ground, having the worst day of their life, we can make sure they get the chance to return home safely. That’s what it’s all about. That’s what we live for.”

Created in the 1940s as a unit dedicated to rescuing downed airmen in combat, today the PJs’ role has expanded to include saving both military and civilians in both combat situations and natural disasters. PJs have saved more than 12,000 people since September 11, 2001, including 4,000 during Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath; now, they continue to change the landscape of the war in Afghanistan, making sure the wounded come home alive.

Inside Combat Rescue presents an intimate, never-before-seen portrait of the heroic and selfless efforts of a group of men risking their lives to save those fighting for our freedom.

Episodes include:

*Inside Combat Rescue: Whatever It Takes*

With heartfelt goodbyes, the men of the 38th Rescue Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., leave their loved ones behind, bound for a war zone half a world away — Afghanistan. A 22-year-old rookie is put to the test when a soldier is gravely injured with a gunshot wound to the chest, and clinging to life. Working in the tight confines of a helicopter flying at full throttle, he and the more experienced PJs onboard race to perform a risky procedure to save the soldier, who is struggling to breathe. Back at base, an expecting father on his third deployment awaits word from his wife of the gender of their first child…but just as the big news comes in, he gets pulled away on another rescue mission. The team races to save their own, after two Americans are critically injured in an IED explosion.

*Inside Combat Rescue: Visions of War*

It’s their most dangerous mission yet; the PJs take on enemy fire while rescuing two American soldiers from an active battle zone in the heart of Kandahar City.Surrounded by gunshots and explosions, pilots fly in fast and low to evade Taliban gunners and possible rocket launchers. Once on the ground, rescuers race against time to reach the injured men and evacuate them to the nearest hospital before they bleed out. Helmet cameras and strategically placed cameras inside the helicopter capture each heart-pounding moment of the heroic rescue.

*Inside Combat Rescue: Into the Fire*

They call it the “golden hour,” the critical window of time in which PJs strive to complete a rescue and offer the injured their best chance of survival. But chaos and confusion can delay a mission. The PJs can’t land in an area littered with enemy mines until a full sweep of the zone confirms that it’s safe to land. The setback jeopardizes the life of an Afghan soldier with a severed leg. On another call, frustration mounts when defensive jamming techniques block radio communications, complicating the rescue of several U.S. soldiers seriously injured during a coordinated attack by insurgents on a remote American outpost.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/inside-combat-rescue/   National Geographic Channel Web Page for the show.

The elite Combat Rescue members of the U.S. Air Force, Pararescuemen, or PJs, have one mission: rescue American or Allied forces in extreme danger. Whether their targets are shot down or isolated behind enemy lines, surrounded, engaged, wounded, or captured by the enemy, PJs will do whatever necessary to bring those in peril home. For the first time in their history, the PJs allow camera crews to cover their missions in Afghanistan.  Inside Combat Rescue is the story of the lives of these elite airmen.

http://www.acc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123332686

*ACC Airmen featured in upcoming National Geographic Channel documentary series*

LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va.  -- A six-episode television documentary exploring Air Force combat rescue in Afghanistan through the stories of deployed Airmen premieres February 18, at 10 p.m. EST/PST.

The show, "Inside Combat Rescue," provides a real-time look at the experiences of Airmen working to save the lives of NATO coalition members, Afghan security forces and Afghan civilians.

In this first-of-its kind series for the Air Force, a National Geographic film crew embedded with Pararescuemen, combat rescue officers, HH-60G Pave Hawk crews and support forces of the 23d Wing during a 2012 deployment to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.

The show features Guardian Angel team members--PJs and CROs--deployed from Moody's 38th Rescue Squadron and Pave Hawk crews deployed from the 66th Rescue Squadron and associated units at Nellis AFB.

"We're excited for people to have a first-hand look at the great work Air Force combat rescue Airmen do every day around the world," said Col. Billy Thompson, 23d Wing commander. "The series portrays just a fraction of the capabilities Air Force personnel recovery forces bring combatant commanders, and it captures what a true team effort this mission set requires. It's important to realize it takes the work of hundreds of Airmen in dozens of career fields to make the lives saved by our rescue crews possible."

In addition to cameramen on the ground, more than 40 mounted cameras recorded each mission to capture thousands of hours of raw footage during this Air Force and Department of Defense sanctioned project.

"I am extremely proud of our combat rescue officers, Pararescuemen, and support personnel teams," said Lt. Col. Patrick O'Rourke, 38th Rescue Squadron commander. "We train hard every day to ensure that when the mission drops, we are ready and will accomplish what is required without fail."

During the deployment, the rescue crews flew 130 missions and saved 108 lives. Air Force rescue forces saved more than 12,200 U.S., allied and host nation forces in conflicts worldwide since Sept. 11, 2001. They have rescued more than 5,000 people worldwide during catastrophic natural disasters and other responses.

"We feel humbled and honored to be able to tell the stories of such a brave, selfless and heroic group of people in this series. Their inspiring mission not only depicts the tragic consequences of war, but the humanity as well," said Jared McGilliard, "Inside Combat Rescue" series producer. "Spending two months filming and getting to know them in Afghanistan was an amazing experience I will never forget."

The entertainment industry regularly engages the U.S. Air Force for involvement in motion pictures, television and video games through the Air Force Entertainment Liaison Office in Los Angeles, Calif. This office works to protect the Air Force's interests and project its missions, capabilities and Airmen through entertainment.

"Our priority is to ensure we have the opportunity to engage with the creative community so we can put the Air Force in the best position to inform the nation through entertainment. Programs like this, which allow us showcase our real Airmen and missions, are priceless," said Lt. Col. Francisco Hamm, director, Air Force Entertainment Liaison Office.

UTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jO3c0aoc_EQ

Photo Caption: PJ's _David Clawson, a member of the National Geographic film crew, captures the action for “Inside Combat Rescue” as Pararescuemen from Moody Air Force Base, Ga., exit their helicopter after touching down in in a remote area of Afghanistan. The show is a Department of Defense supported Nat Geo television series about Air Force combat rescue efforts in Afghanistan. (National Geographic Channel photo/Jared McGilliard)_


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