Aviano, Italy. (June 22, 2023): In this photo by Senior Airman Noah Sudolca, an Air Force pararescueman from the 57th Rescue Squadron takes notes at a simulated helicopter crash during exercise Astral Knight 2023 in the Albanian countryside. The 57th Rescue Squadron is a combat-ready team of pararescue personnel capable of performing combat rescue and personnel retrieval missions in theaters of operations worldwide. Air Forces Africa Airmen and aircraft from across the U.S. and throughout the European theater assembled in Croatia and Albania to participate in this year’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense exercise.
The 57th Rescue Squadron trained with NATO allies on performing complex rescue operations in hostile environments. This year’s Astral Knight featured the American HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter, the HC-130 Hercules cargo plane, A-10 Warthog attack fighters, and ships and aircraft from both Albanian and Croatian militaries.
The 57th Rescue personnel are experts at Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) and are capable of executing all-weather search and rescue missions day or night anywhere in the world. It employs advanced search and rescue equipment and trains other Department of Defense personnel who are at risk of capture or have a high exploitation value. The DOD focuses this training on aircrew,special operations, and foreign diplomatic and intelligence personnel.
Exercises like Astral Knight gives Airmen the opportunity to train in unfamiliar environments while strengthening their relationships and collective capabilities with NATO allies.