JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — Airmen from the Alaska Air National Guard 176th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, and the active duty 718th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron from Kadena Air Base, Japan, conducted a joint operation to transport an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter from Bethel to JBER in early January 2024.
The Pave Hawk experienced a malfunction after completing a medevac mission in Western Alaska. The aircraft landed safely at the Alaska Army National Guard hangar in Bethel after the mission but was unable to complete the trip back to JBER.
After determining the Pave Hawk could not be repaired on scene, the 176th Wing immediately sent a joint maintenance team to Bethel to rapidly prepare the aircraft to be airlifted back to JBER.
The 176th Wing is equipped with the complete rescue triad (210th, 211th 212th Rescue Squadrons), deploying the HC-130J Combat King II, the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter, and Pararescuemen. The unit directly supports NORAD/NORTHCOM with its 24/7 combat rescue capability and provides civil search and rescue and medevac support as requested by the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center.
The 144th Airlift Squadron rounds out the Wing’s versatility with the C-17 Globemaster III and enables the Wing to rapidly transport critical assets over long distances, a regular occurrence in a state the size of Alaska.
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