A UH-1N Iroquois helicopter from the 36th Rescue Flight hovers 10 feet above water looking for a potential landing zone during water operations training Oct. 17, 2014, at Long Lake, Washington. During the training, pilots and aircrew engineers from the 36th RQF from Fairchild Air Force Base recertified on water rescue operation procedures. The 36th RQF supports the U.S. Air Force Survival School training through hands-on helicopter operations for more than 3,000 students per year. Training is conducted year-round at Fairchild and at the school's field location in the Colville National Forest, about 60 miles north of the base. Flight operations include live rescue hoist training, paradrop demonstrations, and combat rescue procedures training for students in the basic Combat Survival Course. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes)

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Masters of the sky, seas

Airman 1st Class Gene Sauder, 336th Training Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment, Staff Sgt. Gary Roland, 66th Training Squadron water survival instructor and Senior Airman Justin Mason, 336th TRSS AFE, drive a boat along the lake looking for a safe landing zone for combat rescue officers during water operations training Oct. 17, 2014, at Long Lake, Washington. Water operations training helps combat rescue officers simulate response to isolated personnel in several water situations. The watercraft crew comprised support personnel such as independent duty medical technicians, a safety diver and AFE airmen in case of an emergency. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes)

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Masters of the sky, seas

Capt. Matthew Arnold, 66th Training Squadron, alongside Capt. Marcus Truman, 336th Training Group combat rescue officers, wade in a lake while they wait for pilots and aircrew from the 36th Rescue Flight to hoist them onto the helicopter during a water operations refresher course for combat rescue officers Oct. 17, 2014, at Long Lake, Washington. Water survival training introduces members of the military to several water survival scenarios. It also allows them to reinforce their water skills and practice them until they are comfortable in the water. During the training scenario, combat rescue officers practiced free-fall swimmer deployment, as it is the most efficient way to have a recovery crew to retract an isolated person in a time efficient manner. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes)

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Masters of the sky, seas

A UH-1N Iroquois helicopter from the 36th Rescue Flight passes over a tree line while looking for a safe potential water landing zone for 336th Training Group combat rescue officers to practice their freefall swimmer deployment during a water operations training scenario Oct. 17, 2014, at Long Lake, Washington. The 36th RQF supports the 336th TRG through hands-on helicopter operations for more than 3,000 students per year. Training is conducted year-round at Fairchild and at the school's field location in the Colville National Forest, about 60 miles north of the base. Flight operations include live rescue hoist training, para drop demonstrations, and combat rescue procedures training for students in the basic Combat Survival Course. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes)

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Masters of the sky, seas

Staff Sgt. Micahel Shamp, 336th Training Support Squadron independent duty medical technician listens for the 'all clear' during water operations training from pilots aboard a UH-1N Iroquois helicopter assigned to the 36th Rescue Flight Oct. 17, 2014, at Long Lake, Washington. . Shamp, accompanied by another independent duty medical technician, Staff Sgt. Brittany Scott, were on standby on a boat to ensure maximum safety before, during and after the water operations training. As an independent duty medical technician they are the sole medical providers in case of an emergency at a moment’s notice. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes)

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Masters of the sky, seas

Capt. Matthew Arnold, 66th Training Squadron combat rescue officer, is hoisted onto a UH-1N Iroquois helicopter from the 36th Rescue Flight during a water operations training scenario Oct. 17, 2014, at Long Lake, Washington. Combat rescue officer, or CRO, is a career field that was created to strengthen Air Force personnel recovery capabilities. The CRO specialty includes direct combatant command and control of combat search and rescue operations. CRO’s and aircrews also train to perform these iterations in rough seas where a rescue hoist is not possible due to wave action. In that instance, they must calculate their jump from the aircraft to land at the top of the wave to avoid freefalling too far and injuring themselves while entering the water. All of this requires constant communication with the entire aircrew and practice. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes)

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Masters of the sky, seas

Staff Sgt. Jeremy Bernite, 36th Rescue Flight aircrew flight engineer, looks out the bay door of a UH-1N Iroquois helicopter during water operations training scenario for combat rescue officers from the 336th Training Group and 36th RQF pilots Oct. 17, 2014, at Long Lake, Washington. Aircrew engineers go through 25 days of rigorous training consisting undergraduate course, combat survival training, water survival, non-parachuting survival and a basic flight engineer course. Engineers maintain fixed-wing or rotary wing helicopters aircraft systems. They will monitor hydraulics, engine power during climb and approach while communicating with the pilots to ensure exact placement of the aircraft for extraction and hoist control. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes)

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Masters of the sky, seas

Maj. Dee Bochte and Capt. Josiah Hart, 36th Rescue Flight helicopter pilots, look for safe landing zone for freefall swimmers from the 336th Training Group during a water operations training scenario Oct. 17, 2014, at Long Lake, Washington. The training was held to train new helicopter pilots and aircrew assigned to the 36th Rescue Flight with maneuvering and retracting persons from water situations. On average, the unit responds from 15 to 20 emergencies each year and is credited with saving more than 687 lives since its inception in 1971. These missions included search and rescue for crashed aircraft and lost hikers, fisherman and hunters; notification and evacuation of backcountry personnel in the face of Washington's worst fire season in seven years; transport of a critically-injured gunshot victim; and the rescue of a seriously injured back-country snowboarder with a 200-foot hoist using night vision in Sandpoint, Idaho. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes)

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Masters of the sky, seas

Capt. Marcus Truman, 336th Training Group combat rescue officer, freefall jumps out of a UH-1N Iroquois helicopter during water operations training scenario Oct. 17, 2014, at Long Lake, Washington. Truman was participating in the scenarios to stay current and proficient on his training as combat rescue officer. Becoming a combat rescue officer entails an extraneous two-phase program that filters officer candidates, solidifying who can withstand high winds, rough seas, extreme weather, mental fatigue and still lead the mission at hand. In 2002, the Combat Rescue Officer program was instated by the Air Force chief of staff, with the vision of having expert leading Airmen in parachuting, personal recovery, diving, resistance during captivity. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes)

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Masters of the sky, seas

Capt. Marcus Truman, 336th Training Group combat rescue officer, is hoisted back onto a UH-1N Iroquois helicopter during a water operations training scenario Oct. 17, 2014, at Long Lake, Washington. A complete water operations training mission would entail simulated recovery of isolated personnel in water situations with the participation of pilots and aircrews from the rescue flight or boat with support personnel aboard. Combat rescue officers are in charge of gathering safety teams to understand the mission, plan out a recovery strategy with aircrews, receive approval and execute the mission. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes)

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Masters of the sky, seas

Capt. Marcus Truman, 336th Training Group combat rescue officer, looks out the bay door of a UH-1N Iroquois helicopter during a water operations training scenario Oct. 17, 2014, at Long Lake, Washington. The training was also conducted to help train new helicopter pilots and aircrew assigned to the 36th Rescue Flight with maneuvering and retracting persons from water situations. Without a full survivor scenario, the focus was on the initial training of new pilots and the recertification of aircrew members with the 36th Rescue Flight. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes)

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Masters of the sky, seas

Capt. Matthew Arnold, 66th Training Squadron combat rescue officer, performs a ‘helo-cast’ out of a UH-1N Iroquois helicopter during a water operations training scenario Oct. 17, 2014, at Long Lake, Washington. Helo-casting is style of deployment that combat rescue officers use to enter the water in a time when minutes mean seconds to save a live. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes)

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Masters of the sky, seas

Capt. Matthew Arnold swims towards a hoist from a UH-1N Iroquois helicopter during a water operations training scenario Oct. 17, 2014, at Long Lake, Washington. As part of the water operations training, Arnold entered the water, waited for the pilot to make several passes to familiarize themselves on approach and hoisting procedures over water. Once in the water and actions were complete, swimmers would communicate to the pilots that they were ready for pick-up using hand signals over their heads. The flight engineer would then hoist the swimmers up from approximately 40 feet. Some pilots were tasked to complete several attempts of ‘helo-casting’ and hoisting to complete their search and rescue certification while others were trainers or used the mission as re-certification. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes)

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SERE, Rescue Flight are masters of the sky, sea

Published Oct. 22, 2014
By Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes
92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

LONG LAKE, Wash. -- Airmen from the 336th Training Support Squadron, 66th Training Support Squadron and the 36th Rescue Flight participated in water operations training Oct. 17, 2014, at Long Lake, Washington. Water operations training assists combat rescue officers, pilots and aircrew flight engineers simulate response to isolated personnel in several water situations. The 36th RQF supports the U.S. Air Force Survival School training through hands-on helicopter operations for more than 3,000 students per year. Training is conducted year-round at Fairchild to include live rescue hoist training, paradrop demonstrations, and combat rescue procedures training for students in the basic Combat Survival Course.

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Masters of the sky, seas

Masters of the sky, seas

Masters of the sky, seas

Masters of the sky, seas

Masters of the sky, seas

Masters of the sky, seas

Masters of the sky, seas

Masters of the sky, seas

Masters of the sky, seas

Masters of the sky, seas

Masters of the sky, seas

Masters of the sky, seas