68 RQF leads their first Rescue Jumpmaster Course

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Katie Spencer
  • 459th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  (Editor's note: This story has been localized by the 23d Wing Public Affairs office. The original story can be found at: http://www.920rqw.afrc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123423016)

The 68th Rescue Flight, a geographically separated unit assigned to Moody Air Force Base, Ga., organized and led a rescue jumpmaster (RJM) course at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., Aug. 4-22.

The RJM course taught pararescuemen (PJs) skills needed to be responsible for the overall safety and execution of a mission. Among many tasks and skills, the PJs learned to accurately determine wind speed in order to safely jump from an aircraft, position cargo on a target on the ground or water and release it from the ramp of a plane, and how to safely conduct personnel jumps on both land and water during day and night. The course is required for the PJs to advance in their upgrade training.

"The RJM course is the most advanced form of parachuting the Air Force has," said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. John Lane, a course instructor from the 68 RQF, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. "It is also the most accurate. We use Army jump school fundamentals, since they are the proponents of jumping with a good course and career-wide standard, and do it with a rescue mindset."

The course included PJs from active duty, Guard and Reserve, spanning more than 10 rescue units that participated in the 21 days of training. The first week consisted of classroom instruction. During the second week, the students practiced static-line jumping, and the final week, the teams focused on the free-fall aspect of pararescue.
All of the PJs have already served as vital members of their team and use this course to build their pararescue skills.

"The RJM course is great," said Tech. Sgt. Jason Broline, a student in the course and 308th Rescue Squadron pararescueman. "It's well planned out and structured to give us the tools to advance in our training. Everyone in the course has a foundation to build from, and guys are doing a great job at absorbing information and then turning around and executing later."

Broline's unit assisted in making the course a success. They provided logistical resources such as a parachute drying tower, boat support, landing ranges and facilities.
"Whatever we can do to help out to get the training units going [we will do]," said Senior Master Sgt. Mike Ziegler, 308th RQS operations superintendent. "It's going to be the next generation of guys coming out. So by everyone pitching in and doing their part, it makes it easier."

While the 308th RQS hosted the physical location of the the course and provided resources, it's the mission of the 68th RQF, also known as the Guardian Angel (GA) Formal Training Unit (FTU) to instruct and train all Air Combat Command- assigned PJs in advanced skill upgrades and proficiency training.

"We stood up the GA FTU to teach rescue jumpmasters, combat leadership and confined-space rescue," said Lane. "My focus is that the PJs and rescue support are getting the best training they can, and that's part of us building up the program so the next generation can succeed."

When the Guardian Angel community discovered that a PJ from one unit may not be receiving the exact same level of training as another, they formed the FTU as a way to bridge that gap and create a standard throughout the pararescue career field.
"We want confident and competent jump masters," said Lane. "They need to have a merge between knowledge, skill and leadership. I won't accept anything less. We train them on equipment, fly them, and they are extremely accurate, because someone's life is going to depend on it."