A U.S. Air Force HH-60W Jolly Green II, assigned to the 210th Rescue Squadron, 176th Wing, Alaska Air National Guard, flies over Southcentral Alaska. (Alaska National Guard photo by Alejandro Peña)
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — At the request of the Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Air National Guardsmen of the 176th Wing rescued an injured hiker from steep terrain in the Hatcher Pass area, approximately 40 miles north of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Aug. 18, 2026.
When the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center received the request for assistance, an HH-60W Jolly Green II aircrew assigned to the 210th Rescue Squadron was conducting a training mission in the area with Guardian Angel personnel from the 212th RQS already aboard. The aircrew quickly transitioned from training to the rescue mission.
After locating the injured hiker, the Guardian Angels conducted hoist operations to extract the individual from the mountainside.
