From Coast to Coast: National Guard Heroes in Action

For nearly four centuries, the National Guard has been a protector of American communities, providing critical support in times of need. Over the past few months, Black Hawk pilots and crews from the Guard have made a profound impact, conducting life-saving missions from coast to coast. From responding to natural disasters to rescuing injured hikers, the Guard's heroism and versatility has been demonstrated in a wide range of unique and challenging missions.

According to Sikorsky Customer Award submissions, at least 1,018 lives were saved by the National Guard this year, using Sikorsky helicopters. Behind each rescue is a story of bravery, skill, and selflessness. Let's take a closer look.

Colorado Army National Guard crew chiefs U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Wade Shore (left) and Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Hubbard (right), High-Altitude Army National Guard Aviation Training Site, perform maintenance on their UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, in Gypsum, Colorado. Both soldiers participated in the nighttime rescue on June 12. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army National Guard Maj. Shane Tracey)

A Lightning Strike Rescue in Colorado

On the night of June 12, a storm rolled in over the Arapaho National Forest, bringing lightning that changed the lives of two hikers. The odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are 1 in 1,600,000, but these two found themselves in a very precarious position near the summit of Torreys Peak.

While at home, Colorado Army National Guard's Chief Warrant Officer 4 Jason Reider received a search and rescue request through the Colorado National Guard Joint Operations Center in Centennial. Soon after, he knew a hoist rescue was necessary due to the reported unresponsiveness of one hiker. After driving to the High-Altitude Army National Guard Aviation Training Site (HAATS) in Gypsum, it was determined he would fly the mission alongside Lt. Col. Brion Stroud. Reider drove back home, quickly changed into his flight suit, and returned to prepare the aircraft.

"The day prior, the two crew chiefs on this mission and I conducted a night flight," said Reider. This is a key point as we already had our circadian rhythms more closely aligned for a nighttime mission."

The mountainous terrain was nothing new for Reider. He was first exposed to the mountains in 2010 when training to deploy to Iraq. He has also crewed a dozen search and rescue missions since 2022 and conducted hoist operation training since 2009.

The crew launched under night visions goggles and arrived near the summit within 30 minutes, where it was windy and only the moon and stars provided illumination. They performed a two-wheel landing to insert the rescue technician, but in several feet of snow, they encountered a challenge. Due to his injuries, the critical rescue subject couldn't be moved to a position to be loaded onto the aircraft, so they hoisted him up instead and transported him to an ambulance a few miles away.

"The two-wheeled landings we did required precise flight control manipulation as the main landing gear was balancing on the four feet of snow at the top, adjusting for wind, keeping enough power in so that we didn't sink into the snow, and maintaining a stable enough platform for individuals to safely get on and off the aircraft."

Due to low fuel, the crew quickly refueled and returned to extract the second hiker, the remaining rescue technician and the Alpine Rescue Team, who climbed to the top to assist.

After conducting this dangerous nighttime rescue at 14,200 feet above sea level, the crew set a record for the highest hoist ever performed by a military aircraft in Colorado.

Hoisting High Up in New Hampshire

Just before the Fourth of July, a Black Hawk helicopter crew from the New Hampshire Army National Guard rescued a rock climber who fell 60 feet on Mount Washington, notorious for extreme weather conditions at all times of year.

Thanks to two other climbers in the area, authorities responded to rescue the badly injured climber in an area extremely hard to get to. Despite strong winds at a hover of 140 feet, the medevac crew secured the climber in an air rescue vest and successfully extracted him from the mountain.

A Texas National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk crew supports aerial survey operations with response partners near Leander, Texas. (Photo Credit: Texas Military Department/ Facebook)

Reuniting Families in Texas

After extreme flash floods devastated Central Texas, the Texas Army National Guard responded immediately, saving 532 lives using UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters.

The Guard conducted search and rescue operations, cleared roadways, and removed debris in the area. This fast and effective support during severe weather events is what saves the lives of Americans across the country every day.

To assist with the recovery efforts in Texas, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders deployed 22 soldiers from the Arkansas National Guard troops and four Black Hawk helicopters.

Because of the Guard, hundreds of families in Texas were reunited during times where optimism seemed out of reach.

The Idaho Army National Guard's State Aviation Group, working with the Boise Fire Department, assisted in the rescue of two rafters on the Owyhee River in Malheur County, Oregon, May 15. (Photo credit: Idaho Army National Guard)

River Rapids Rescues and Summit Saves in Idaho

In May, the Idaho Army National Guard partnered with the Boise Fire Department to rescue two stranded rafters on the Owyhee River in Malheur County, Oregon.

When the raft capsized, the Guard used their HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter to lower firefighters to a boulder where one of the rafters was trapped overnight. The crew and rescue team successfully hoisted the rafters into the helicopter and transported them to safety.

With its advanced avionics capabilities, the Black Hawk enabled the crew to accomplish such a complex mission. The collaborative joint rescue training the Guard and Boise Fire Department conduct twice a year made them mission ready. Two weeks later, they partnered with the Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue to hoist two more individuals to safety after being stranded in steep terrain.

Almost two months later, the Idaho Army National Guard conducted two more search and rescue missions nine days apart, both at over 10,000 feet. One marked the highest elevation landing rescue ever conducted by the Idaho Army National Guard, at 12,350 feet. It was also the fifth search and rescue mission performed by the Idaho National Guard this year.

With Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, Our Customers Can.