The pot of gold
HC-130P/N King aircraft from the 920th Rescue Wing, Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., sit ready and able if and when called upon. The King is an extended-range, combat search and rescue version of the C-130 Hercules transport. Its mission is to extend the range of combat search and rescue helicopters by providing air refueling. Secondary mission capabilities include performing tactical airdrops of pararescue specialist teams, small bundles, zodiac watercraft, or four-wheel drive all-terrain vehicles, providing direct assistance to a survivor in advance of the arrival of a recovery vehicle. Other capabilities are extended visual and electronic searches over land or water, tactical airborne radar approaches and unimproved airfield operations. A team of three pararescue specialists, trained in emergency trauma medicine, harsh environment survival and assisted evasion techniques, are part of the basic mission crew complement.
The 920th RQW is an Air Force Reserve combat search and rescue unit, which performs more than 20 percent of the Air Force's combat search and rescue mission (CSAR). The Wing is comprised of 1,800 Airmen and flies both fixed and rotor wing aircraft: the HC-130P/N extended-range Hercules and the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Peter Dean)