Michael P. Spradlin - Pararescue Corps

Location: South-central Alaska
Peak Elevation: 20,310 feet (6,190 meters)
Name History: Officially changed to Denali in 2015 (formerly known as Mount McKinley)
Summiting Denali: Explorer Frederick Cook claimed to have summited Denali in 1906, but this was later disproved. Hudson Stuck, Walter Harper, Harry Karstens, and Robert Tatum first summited Denali in 1913. The youngest person to summit Denali was Galen Johnston, age 11, in 2001.

The weather on Denali is some of the fiercest on the planet. Wind chill temperatures on the mountain have plunged lower than negative-100 degrees. That is cold enough to cause human beings instant death. Because the mountain is so far north, the barometric pressure causes more extreme weather than normal. At over 20,000 feet, and with such extreme weather, Denali has proven to be a difficult mountain to climb. The first climbers scaled the mountain in 1913. The first solo ascent was in 1970.

Most climber rescues on the mountain are conducted by the National Park Service. However, in extreme situations, the Park Service calls on the 212th Pararescue Squadron. The Pararescuemen in the 212th squadron are stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska.

Location: Kandahar Province, Afghanistan
Date: December 1st
Time: 2200 hours

Two Pave Hawk helicopters cleared the cover of the jagged mountain ridge. The United States Air Force Pararescuemen, nicknamed PJs, inside headed for the landing zone at top speed. Three severely injured Marines needed their help. The Pave Hawk choppers were flying on the deckzooming along close to the ground. They traveled fast with their lights out, trying to avoid being seen.

Once the helicopters cleared the ridge, their shapes showed clearly against the night sky. The Taliban fighters saw them, and the shooting started. Enemy fire exploded all around. The Pave Hawk helicopters were supposed to have air support. Neither fighter planes nor Apache attack helicopters could help keep them safe. But support had not shown up yet. Things happened. Delays. Operational issues. Perhaps the support aircraft were engaged with the enemy farther up the valley.

Captain Dave Willis piloted one of the Pave Hawks. Hed been piloting Pave Hawks for ten years. His dark eyes poured over the valley before them. Looking for a safe route.

Base, this is Pedro One, said Willis. I need an ETA on that air support. Please inform them sooner would be better than later. He squirmed in his seat, awaiting a response.

Pedro One, this is Base, the base operator said. Apaches are eight minutes out.

This was not the news Willis wanted to hear. Eight minutes would be an eternity in enemy territory. Bullets pinged off the side of the helicopter. Pedro One climbed in altitude. Willis knew they needed to get away from enemy fire until help showed up.

Pedro One to Base, said Willis. Please inform the Apaches we wont last eight minutes. We are three minutes inbound to the landing zone, taking heavy fire.

Roger that, Base replied.

Each time a team went out on a mission there were at least two Pave Hawks. The Pave Hawk helicopter could carry a crew of six with three to five patients. One went in to pick up the wounded. The other hovered to provide cover for the chopper on the ground. Then the first chopper would lift off with the wounded and provide cover for the second Pave Hawk to pick up more wounded, if necessary.

Pedro Two, this is Pedro One, said Willis. Whats your status?

Pilot Pete Millers voice came back over the radio.

Pedro One, this is Pedro Two, said Miller. Havent been to a shooting gallery since the county fair as a kid. Also, did I mention I hated the shooting gallery?

It might have come up, Willis said.

We wont last eight minutes, Miller said.

Thats what I told base, Willis said. Mako, are you guys ready to go? We are one minute out, but I cannot get ground contact at the moment. Radios are probably being jammed. Cant verify if the landing zone is secure.

Mako was Chief Master Sergeant Phil Mako Marks. He would lead the extraction team along with his two other PJs, Airman Ahmad Bash Bashir and Phil Smith. Well fast rope in, if we have to. Weve got two Cat Alphas here, Mako replied.

Category alphascat alphas for shortwere the most serious type of injury. A single cat alpha meant trouble. Two cat alphas were worse. Cat alphas were usually some type of severe wound like head trauma or spinal fracture. Patients with these injuries needed medical attention. They needed it fast.

The golden hour started as soon as the call sounded at their forward operating base. The patients chances of survival improved dramatically if they could return to the base hospital within an hour. Any longer than that, and the chances of more serious injury or death increased. Once the PJs scrambled to the chopper, every second counted. The pararescuemen were 13 minutes into the golden hour.

Mako sat back in his seat. Small arms fire pinged off the sides of the Pave Hawk. It was not a heavily-armored helicopter. Extra weight might also prevent them from flying at higher altitudes.

RPG inbound! Willis shouted into the radio.

Mako glanced out the side door of the Pave Hawk, spotting the stream of fire from a rocket-propelled grenade headed directly at them.

Hang on! Willis shouted.

Time slowed down. Mako could hear his heart beat. He felt his eyes blink. The sound of blood rushing through his veins roared in his ears.

Bank right! Willis shouted in the radio. Bank right! Deploying counter measures!

Williss voice sounded distant to Mako, like he was yelling into a tunnel.

Mako heard the pop, pop, pop sound of flares launched from the Pave Hawk. The flares were superheated. A heat-seeking missile might turn toward one of the flares instead of the chopper.

Mako, Bashir, and Smith were strapped quite securely into their seats. Their bodies, however, jerked and rocked against their restraints as the chopper banked hard to the right. Willis must have given an order to return fire because both Pave Hawk machine guns were shooting at the spot where the missile launched. The noise from the .50 caliber only added to the confusion.

Mako could not take his eyes off the missile screaming their way. His breath came in short gasps. Bashir and Smith closed their eyes. The missile seemed to take forever to reach them.

I will not die like this, Mako muttered to himself. He raised his M-4 rifle, flipped it to full auto, and fired at the incoming missile. It only took seconds to empty the entire clip of thirty rounds of ammunition. Makos shooting had no effect.

The Pave Hawk flew at such a steep angle of descent that a sudden crash seemed likely. The chopper righted itself. The PJs lurched against the restraints again.

We didnt explode, Mako said in disbelief.

No, we didnt, Willis said.

Mako could hear the relief in the pilots voice.

Too close, Bashir said.

Nah, Mako said. Knew it would miss.

Really? Smith said. What were you shooting at? Ducks?

Never mind my intended target, Airman, Mako said. My weapon needed testing. The missile happened to provide a convenient target.