33rd Rescue Squadron crew earns MacKay Trophy

  • Published
  • By Maj. John S. Hutcheson
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  "These things we do, that others may live." For Air Force rescue forces, these words are more than just a motto. They are the very fabric of the warrior ethos that rescue Airmen live by, the code that propels them to commit incredible acts of courage under the most trying circumstances.

For four members of the 33rd Rescue Squadron here, adherence to this code has earned them recognition that the Air Force's "quiet professionals" rarely seek, but can seldom avoid due to the extraordinary nature of their mission. Capt. Robert Rosebrough, 1st Lt. Lucas Will, Master Sgt. Dustin Thomas, and Staff Sgt. Tim Philpott - the crew of an HH-60G Pavehawk combat search and rescue helicopter, call sign "Pedro 16" -- have been honored with the prestigious 2009 MacKay Trophy for their efforts to save the crew of a downed U.S. Air Force aircraft and three Army Soldiers in Afghanistan last July.

The MacKay Trophy dates back to 1912 and is awarded annually by the National Aeronautic Association for the most meritorious flight of the year. The award comes on the heels of the Kadena-based crew being honored by the Jolly Green Association for the most outstanding rescue mission of the year.

For Captain Rosebrough, Lieutenant Will, Sergeant Thomas, and Sergeant Philpott, the flight path to two of military aviation's highest honors was filled with incredible danger, unwavering determination, old-fashioned ingenuity and plenty of guts.

It was a sweltering, sunny day July 29, 2009 when the four Kadena Airmen, attached to the 129th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, received the call at Kandahar Air Base to fly with another HH-60G, "Pedro 15," on an urgent Medevac mission. Three U.S. Soldiers had been wounded near Forward Operating Base Frontenac when their convoy was hit with an IED.

"The radio chatter that was coming down seemed a little bit more serious," said Sergeant Thomas, Pedro 16's aerial gunner. "You heard that there was a convoy and they were under fire. Something was telling us that this was going to be more involved."

When Pedro 15 and 16 arrived overhead, they found members of the convoy taking small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades from multiple enemy positions. Pedro 16 established contact with the ground forces commander and quickly assessed the nature and extent of the Soldiers' injuries. Using this data, they developed a recovery plan with Pedro 15 within five to ten minutes according to Captain Rosebrough.

Pedro 15 would insert their three-man pararescue team to prepare the wounded for recovery. In what would be the first of several out-of-the-box actions in this rescue, Pedro 16 directed emergency close air support by two Army OH-58 Kiowa helicopters, which would survey and neutralize enemies along the ingress route. While it wasn't textbook forward air control by any stretch, according to Capt. Rosebrough, it was just good enough for the Kiowas to keep the pressure on the insurgents below.

Pedro 15 landed on the scene and immediately took enemy fire. Small arms rounds hit the center of co-pilot windshield, wounding both the pilot and co-pilot. With the three-man PJ team safely on the ground and beginning to provide medical treatment to the wounded, Pedro 15 lifted off while Pedro 16 executed multiple low-altitude gun runs, directing intense fire against enemy positions from the Pavehawk's GAU-2 miniguns.

"The whole thing was very surreal," said Sergeant Thomas who was formerly a gunner aboard AC-130 gunships. "The training kicks in and you just do what you do."

Pedro 16 established radio contact with the PJ's on the ground and continued to direct close air support from the Army helos. Despite sustained enemy contact and wounds sustained on the ground, the crew of Pedro 15 Flight continued with recovery operations, landing a second time at the scene to recover the three wounded soldiers and the PJs.

As Pedro 15 touched down, Pedro 16 continued to direct fire support from Army attack helicopters to cover the exfil of the wounded soldiers and the PJs. Pedro 16 suppressed enemy positions 300 meters to south with GAU-2 miniguns and directed OH-58 rocket fire for Pedro 15's escape.

Between working the radios, talking with the ground commander, coordinating close air support, delivering fire against enemy positions, and trying to keep the helicopter flying without getting shot up themselves, the crew of Pedro 16 was task-saturated but unwavering.

"You do what you're supposed to do," said Lieutenant Will, who was the co-pilot that day and on his first deployment to Afghanistan. "You revert to your training, and you don't get caught up in the action; you focus on what needs to be done."

On the ground, Pedro 15 again took heavy enemy fire, damaging critical aircraft systems. Despite the hail of bullets, the crew successfully recovered the three wounded soldiers and two PJs, leaving one PJ in the zone due to withering enemy small arms fire. While Pedro 15 was able to get off the ground with its precious cargo, it didn't stay airborne for long. Small arms fire had caused catastrophic damage to the Pavehawk's primary hydraulic systems and critical fuel lines. With the aircraft barely controllable, leaking fuel and on the verge of engine flame out, Pedro 15 was forced to land a mile south of initial engagement.

Upon landing, Pedro 15 immediately took enemy fire, and the crew and soldiers were forced to exit the helo and take cover. Knowing the danger their fellow Airmen and Soldiers faced on the ground, Pedro 16 quickly established a weapons pattern over the downed aircraft, providing cover and support while evading multiple enemy small arms and RPG attacks themselves.

When enemy troops were spotted on a ridgeline 300 meters north, Pedro 16 maneuvered for a low-level gun pass. Sergeant Philpott engaged the fighters with his minigun, resulting in two confirmed enemy kills. On the other side of the HH-60, Sergeant Thomas struggled to bring his jammed minigun online but was foiled at every turn by a bent guide bar.

"The whole time, I'm not giving up," said Sergeant Thomas. "I'm going to try to see if I can even eke out a two second burst from this gun and give it back to the enemy somehow, but I just couldn't and that's when I switched over to the M-4."

Eventually Sergeant Philpott's minigun failed as well and both men, unwilling to sit back while their comrades on the ground were still in danger, used their M-4s and continued to put fire on target.

With one rescue helo disabled and the scene still crawling with insurgents, Pedro 16 had a dilemma. There simply wasn't enough space in their Pavehawk to exfil the wounded soldiers, the PJs and the crew of Pedro 15. Knowing that every second their comrades remained on the ground increased the risk of friendly casualties, the crew of Pedro 16, working with their fellow Army aviators in the Kiowas, developed what can only be described as an unconventional recovery plan.

The Army OH-58s would exfil Pedro 15's crew on their aircraft skids while Pedro 16 loaded the injured soldiers and PJs on board the Pavehawk. Pedro 16 again directed OH-58 helicopters to deliver close air support to suppress enemy positions along the ingress route. The helo landed under direct enemy fire and directed personnel to the helicopters. Pedro 16 departed the landing zone only after all friendly personnel were accounted for and safely aboard the aircraft.

"We had five PJs, three wounded and the flight engineer," said Sergeant Thomas. "It was jam packed with all the gear and all those people in the back."

When it was all said and done, the wounded were evacuated safely and the crew of Pedro 16 had time to reflect on the harrowing mission.

"It was definitely the most interesting, exciting and scary mission we were part of," said Capt. Rosebrough. "But when it was happening, our training just took over and everyone just did their job."

When asked about the recognition his team has received as a result of the mission, Capt. Rosebrough remained humble.

"It could have been any crew in our place that day, and they would have performed the same," said the captain, who is preparing to return to Afghanistan this summer. "[The honors] are a testament to the Air Force rescue community as a whole."

Lieutenant Will, Sergeant Thomas and Sergeant Philpott attended the Jolly Green Association award ceremony May 1 in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. where they were presented the Jolly Green award by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen. Norton Schwartz.

"It was incredible to be in the room with helicopter pilots from the Vietnam era," said Lieutenant Will." For them, getting shot at was a regular occurrence. To be surrounded by those guys was humbling."

The crew will be recognized again this fall when the MacKay Trophy is officially presented in Washington D.C.

The MacKay Trophy and the Jolly Green Association awards bring even more acclaim to the 33rd Rescue Squadron, which was honored last year with the 2009 Verne Orr Award for most effective use of people and resources in pursuit of the mission. According to the 33rd RQS commander, the awards shine the proper spotlight on the critical work of Air Force rescue teams around the world.

"The actions of the crew on this mission were heroic, in every sense of the word," said Lt. Col. Sean Choquette. "They put themselves at great risk to save their fellow Airmen and Soldiers, and their choice as Mackay Trophy winners emphasizes the importance of the missions AF Rescue crews are executing in Afghanistan."

In the end, it's not about the medals, the awards or the accolades for Air Force rescue professionals. It never has been. It's about putting your own life on the line to save others.

"That's what we do," said Sergeant Thomas. We're rescue."