Airmen in two squadrons deployed to rescue five Navy personnel following an aircraft incident in California last week.
Airmen from the 355th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, assigned to the 355th Wing but located at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, alongside the 88th Test and Evaluation Squadron, deployed two HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters to rescue the Navy personnel near Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California, according to a Monday release.
The “aircraft mishap” occurred on Aug. 10, per the release. The 88th received initial notification regarding the Navy MH-60S Seahawk hard landing in mountainous terrain during a high-altitude training flight around 11:30 a.m.
The 88th then immediately initiated a recall and joined with the 355th to generate the aircraft while coordinating with the “mishap unit.” The release did not specify which Navy unit was involved.
“When production gave us the word for a real-world mission, I gathered the Airmen I had on the line and started directing traffic,” Air Force Staff Sgt. Lucas Seney, 355th AMXS aerospace propulsion craftsman, said in the release. “The crew worked well together, and I was proud to see just how efficiently everyone was able to get the job done.”
To allow for a swift departure, the 355th had to fix a circuit breaker issue since no spare parts were available, providing the aircrew with a “workaround” to make the system operational, the statement reads.
The 355th was able to generate the two HH-60Ws within 30 minutes, and the aircrews departed Nellis at 1 p.m. Then the crew established two-way radio contact and visually identified the Navy personnel by 3 p.m.
Capt. John Howe, an 88th combat rescue officer, led the pararescue team that deployed to the landing zone, per the release. The team assessed the personnel, deemed that no one was injured and determined that the helicopters should reposition to a closer landing area to reduce the physical exertion required of the sailors.
“The preparation is what makes the execution smooth,” Howe said in the statement. “It’s the combination of preestablished operating procedures, keeping equipment staged and ready for use, and hasty mission planning prior to departure, that makes this process effective, and expeditious.”
All five sailors were extracted successfully by 3:50 p.m., and they were transferred to their unit’s ramp at NAWS China Lake.
Cristina Stassis is a reporter covering stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She previously worked as an editorial fellow for Defense News in 2024 where she assisted the newsroom in breaking news across Sightline Media Group.