And then there were two: 'Pedro' and crew continuously qualify to search and rescue

Photo By Lance Cpl. Andrea Cleopatra Dickerson | Cpl. Kyle Smith, a rescue swimmer with VMR-1, grasps Lance Cpl. Stephen Benjamin D. Bargar, a crew chief trainee with VMR-1, while he scans the ground directly below an HH-46E helicopter commonly referred to as “Pedro” during a search and rescue training flight conducted over eastern North Carolina Sept. 7. "Crew chiefs are important because they are the pilots' eyes," Bargar said. "We are the ones that can look outside of the aircraft and see things the pilots can't always see."  

CHERRY POINT, NC, UNITED STATES

09.07.2012

Story by Lance Cpl. Andrea Cleopatra Dickerson 

II Marine Expeditionary Force   

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. - When military personnel and community members find themselves in harm's way in eastern North Carolina, many rely on Marine Transport Squadron 1's versatile resources to help save the day.

VMR-1 is one of the last two active search and rescue squadrons in the Marine Corps; the other squadron is located at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. Their mission is to provide search and rescue support to MCAS Cherry Point-based aircraft as well as short and medium range rapid response or high speed multipurpose light transport of key personnel and critical logistics support to the Department of Defense.

Although the squadron's main focus is providing support to Cherry Point, VMR-1 also has the capability to aid the Coast Guard, local law enforcement agencies and emergency response teams from surrounding areas in crisis situations.

In order to provide life saving assistance in a timely manner, the unit relies on their three HH-46E's affectionately referred to as "Pedro," said Maj. Alexander T. Kushnir, the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing director of safety and standardization and resident pilot.

"There aren't any local aviation agencies nearby that can provide search and rescue support in the event of an emergency," he said. “Our only effective means of getting there is flying Pedro."
Kushnir stressed how vital Pedro is when attempting to rescue individuals."

The use of Pedro allows VMR-1 to save time and reach destinations quickly, whereas it would take other methods of transportation several hours to travel the same distance, he said.
"Time is of the essence," said Kushnir.

He added the importance of the crew that supports the aircraft. Without the pilots, rescue swimmers and crew chiefs, search and rescue over bodies of water and dense vegetation in eastern North Carolina would be virtually impossible.

Pedro crew members constantly train to ensure their readiness. Several members of the squadron recently conducted a range sweep over Marine Corps Outlying Field Atlantic, the Outer Banks and other outlying areas.

A range sweep occurs when personnel fly their aircraft over an area and practice visually scanning for survivors and distressed vessels then rehearse rescuing techniques once the “victims” have been positively located. The process and procedures involved are referred to as search then rescue, said Cpl. Kyle Smith, a rescue swimmer with VMR-1.

"During range sweeps we rehearse search patterns," Smith said. "The flight we conducted today was part of an effort to train Lance Cpl. (Stephen Benjamin D.) Bargar, who is training to become fully qualified."

As a crew chief, it is vital to be well-versed on the procedures executed during the search portion of a flight, said Smith.

"Crew chiefs are important because they are the pilots' eyes," Bargar said. "We are the ones that can look outside of the aircraft and see things the pilots can't always see."

While on the training flight, Smith said Bargar gained valuable knowledge and laid a solid foundation for future flights by readily learning several search patterns.

Barger has been performing on-the-job training to become a crew chief with VMR-1 for four months.

"This was my first search pattern flight," said Barger. "I learned how to search for survivors and downed aviators and how to rescue them once they are found."

He said he looks forward to becoming fully qualified so he can assist comrades with carrying out missions.

• Date Taken: 09.07.2012
• Date Posted: 09.14.2012 15:25
• Story ID: 94738
• Location: CHERRY POINT, NC, US
• Hometown: AMHERST, NY, US
• Hometown: SUWANEE, GA, US