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CSAR, Under New Management Combat search and rescue soon will be part of the special operations world. USAF photo by SSgt. Shane A. Cuomo CSAR, Under New Management By Adam J. Hebert, Senior Editor HE Air Force has found a new home for its vital combat search and rescue mission. At present, most of the forces, Tequipment, and oversight of CSAR belong to Air Combat Command. However, service leaders have con- cluded that the mission fits better in the world of special operations. On An HH-60 departs Tallil Air Base, Iraq, after depositing a pararescueman. 84 AIR FORCE Magazine / August 2003 Oct. 1, the mission passes to Air According to Moseley’s “By the felt” the lack of a permanent CSAR Force Special Operations Command. Numbers” assessment of the air cam- presence in Europe during Opera- Air Force leaders believe the move paign, Operation Iraqi Freedom’s tion Allied Force, the air war over will strengthen CSAR operations, joint search and rescue center was Kosovo. The successful rescues of make them more efficient, and raise the largest JSRC ever, and it assisted downed F-16 and F-117 pilots dur- their profile by putting them in a in 20 rescues, saving 73 personnel. ing that conflict were achieved by smaller organization. special operations forces, not dedi- The idea of shifting search and Falling Short cated rescue assets. rescue out of ACC had been studied Twice in recent years, search and USAFE has since stationed a CSAR for more than a year. Ultimately, the rescue limitations complicated com- unit at NAS Keflavik, Iceland. The Air Force concluded that the “syner- bat operations, however. CSAR units assigned to the Pacific gies” to be achieved with the move In 1999, Gen. John P. Jumper, Air Forces and USAFE will remain outweighed any negative factors, now Air Force Chief of Staff, com- in those commands. ACC commander Gen. Hal M. Horn- manded United States Air Forces in More recently, ACC’s CSAR units burg told Air Force Magazine. Europe. He said that USAF “acutely were slow to arrive in Afghanistan “Better for the community over- all” is how Hornburg described the outcome of the transfer. The move brings together, under one command, most of the equip- ment and personnel needed to per- form rescues and puts them in close proximity to commandos, some of whom perform similar types of mis- sions. USAF photo by MSgt. Val Gempis AFSOC already has search and rescue as a secondary mission, with special ops units filling in when dedi- cated CSAR forces are not avail- able. This tends to happen a lot, as search and rescue capabilities are among the most heavily tasked in the Air Force. Commanders frequently seek the ability to recover combat personnel trapped in enemy territory. In Iraq, CSAR was heavily used and highly successful, according to a report by AFSOC has already planned to modify its MC-130H Combat Talon II airlifters, Lt. Gen. T. Michael Moseley, the such as this one, to provide much needed additional capability to aerial refuel Gulf War II air commander. CSAR helicopters. in 2001 for Operation Enduring Free- dom. The need for AFSOC to fill in led to the successful push for change. In an interview, Lt. Gen. Paul V. Hester, AFSOC commander, said getting CSAR into position around Afghanistan was the final prepara- tory step to be completed. The initial rescue presence was provided by USAF photo by SSgt. Shane A. Cuomo special operations forces trained to perform rescues as a “tangential mis- sion,” Hester said. It took a month for ACC’s search and rescue units to fully assume the Enduring Freedom CSAR mission, officials said. It is hoped the change in oversight will bring an end to these types of situations. Hester said AFSOC will look for CSAR at work: An A-10 pilot shot down near Baghdad returns to base accompa- ways to get US-based rescue forces nied by his heavily armed rescuers. This was one of 20 successful recoveries for to the combat theaters faster, but Iraqi Freedom’s joint search and rescue center. that the timing problem will not van- AIR FORCE Magazine / August 2003 85 changes to better CSAR’s lot within the Air Combat Command structure. These included moving Air Force Reserve Command rescue equipment in Oregon to an active duty unit at Davis–Monthan, a change that will be completed later this year. (The AFRC unit is switching from a CSAR to an aerial refueling mission.) AFSOC will soon Officials approved a service life possess two aging extension program for the oldest of helicopters frequently the HH-60 Pave Hawks to ensure used for rescues. Like the HH-60, the MH-53 they remain workable until a next (pictured) is due for generation recovery vehicle becomes replacement. The Air available around 2010. And the size Force is developing the of the HC-130 refueling fleet is be- CV-22 tilt-rotor as ing increased through the conver- successor to the MH-53 Pave Low and favors a sion of 10 WC-130s to the tanker medium-lift, conven- configuration. These conversions tional helicopter as a should be complete by 2006. Pave Hawk successor. A recent ACC study recommended replacing the 105 lightweight HH- 60s used for CSAR with 132 me- dium-lift helicopters. Use of the new helicopters will not only im- prove aircraft availability but also address several HH-60 deficiencies such as limited range and small payload. For the time being, however, AFSOC will have possession of two aging ro- ish on Oct. 1 when the changeover cations. Hester said most people af- torcraft platforms that are due for occurs. If the problems involved in fected will simply change patches. replacement. In addition to the HH- getting assets deployed were easy to The change includes shifting: 60s, the MH-53 Pave Lows used to solve, he noted, “ACC would have 91 positions to Davis–Monthan transport commandos are also aging solved them already.” AFB, Ariz. out. The Air Force backs separate Officials say the move will also 53 positions to Hurlburt Field, programs to replace those aircraft, broaden career opportunities. With Fla. given the different missions the Pave related missions aligned under AFSOC, 31 positions to Nellis AFB, Nev. Hawks and Pave Lows are asked to there will be more leadership oppor- According to Hester, the Air Force perform. tunities for rescuers and helicopter realignment had no connection with The V-22 tilt-rotor that is expected crewmen, Hester said. This will cre- the Pentagon’s decision this year to to replace the MH-53 was also con- ate a much broader leadership path increase the size and authority of US sidered for the CSAR mission, but for CSAR members, because the res- Special Operations Command. The was passed over in favor of a more cue mission will not be an after- CSAR units will continue to be or- traditional, medium-lift replacement thought in AFSOC as it was in ACC. ganized, trained, and equipped as for the HH-60. Hester noted that the There will be a need to update Air Force rescue assets and will not study recommendation calls for an training operations, said Hester. belong to SOCOM. “off the shelf” purchase, unlike the AFSOC will work with Air Educa- ground-up development and acqui- tion and Training Command to de- Long in Flux sition of the V-22. termine how search and rescue train- Combat search and rescue had been In spite of the recent and planned ing should be integrated with the in flux for years. There had been changes, CSAR remained an over- training regimes of conventional discussions about moving CSAR out stressed, overtasked mission area that commandos, he said. of ACC throughout the 1990s, but was never able to get to the top of AFSOC will be given control of the right time never seemed to ar- ACC’s list of priorities. Moody AFB, Ga., a former fighter rive. Hornburg acknowledged that, over facility currently operated by ACC. Officials had been debating the the years, ACC did “a less than ad- The 347th Rescue Wing, which has proper home for CSAR since at least equate job” of budgeting for CSAR, HH-60s and the HC-130s used for 1990, when AFSOC was created out even though ACC units are most in CSAR refueling, is the host wing at of the former 23rd Air Force in a need of rescue support. After all, Moody and will transfer to AFSOC. move to increase the role of special pilots in the combat air forces are in The CSAR switch will affect about operations. danger of going down in enemy ter- 9,000 Air Force members. Only a More recently, the Air Force has ritory almost every time they per- few, however, will be changing lo- carried out various administrative form a wartime mission. ■ 86 AIR FORCE Magazine / August 2003.
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