Airmen receive Public Safety Medal for heroism

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Russ Martin
  • 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Airmen at the 943rd Rescue Group are accustomed to operations leading them to rescue Airmen downed behind enemy lines, civilians stranded in the wake of natural disasters, but recently, 13 members of the group were recognized for their courage and bravery in their own backyard.

Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik presented the Airmen the Pima County Sheriff's Department's Public Safety Achievement Medal in a ceremony here April 8 for their actions Jan.31, following the crash of a Pima County Sheriff's Department helicopter.

The crash was located on the side of Waterman's Peak in the local mountain range. Reaching the scene by foot required extreme physical challenges and placed the first responders in imminent danger; at times the personnel had to crawl on their hands and knees to overcome the steep terrain and rugged underbrush. PCSD Search and Rescue deputies arrived at the staging location and learned that a helicopter insertion was not possible. According to the PCSD, they then began making their way to the crash site with additional rescue equipment.

PCSD personnel contacted the military liaison office here requesting the assistance of their elite Combat Search and Rescue personnel. The 943rd RQG answered the call. Two HH-60 pavehawks helicopters, Rescue 225 and 228, were conducting training in the area, and both quickly returned to the base where they loaded five pararescue jumpers before responding to the crash scene.

Once on scene, the pavehawks offloaded their PJs near the crash site. The PJs quickly secured the helicopter wreckage to a nearby rock outcropping.

Sheriff Dupnik specifically recognized the efforts of Tech. Sgt. Sean McBride, 306th Rescue Squadron pararescueman. During the operation, a large boulder was dislodged and rolled directly at the wreckage with a victim still remaining inside. Sergeant McBride dove on the rock, taking the brunt of the impact to prevent it from reaching the aircraft, and preventing the aircraft from dislodging itself and falling down the mountain face.

"I don't know if the boulder was as big as everyone said it was," said a humble Sergeant McBride. "I just tried to remember what they taught you in baseball, keep your body in front of it and it won't get past you."

Members of the 943rd RQG share a kinship in many respects with the members of the Sherriff's office.

"As a reserve unit, many of our members work civilian jobs and live right here in Pima County," said Col. Harold Maxwell, 943rd RQG commander. "We take pride in the knowledge that should the need arise, day or night, we stand ready to assist local law enforcement and local rescue assets with an Air Force rescue capability. It's what we train to do, and what we live to do.

Medal recipients are:

Para Rescue Jumpers

Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Hamilton
Staff Sgt. Allen Brumfeld
1st Lt. Isaiah Staley
Tech. Sgt. Sean McBride
Master Sgt. Joshua Schwartz

Air Force Rescue 225

Lt. Col. Paul Anderson
Maj. Nathan Horner
Master Sgt. Ed Dawson
Senior Master Sgt. Michael Flake

Air Force Rescue 228

Capt. Brough McDonald
Capt. Dave Gonzales
Tech. Sgt. Michael Parker
Tech. Sgt. Trevor Stevens