ASD paves way for Helos Published June 17, 2011 By Wayne Crenshaw 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- At the entrance to a conference room in Bldg. 300 is a plaque with the words "In Memory of Pedro 66." It tells the story of what happened in Afghanistan on June 9, 2010, when a rocket-propelled grenade struck an Air Force Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk on a medical evacuation mission. "Pedro 66" was the call sign of the crew, which heroically piloted the plummeting chopper clear of friendly troops on the ground before crashing, eventually killing the five on board. The plaque serves as an important reminder for Aerospace Sustainment Directorate's Special Operation Forces/Personnel Recovery helicopter team. The team works daily to ensure the mission readiness of the Air Force's helicopter fleet around the world. The fleet includes 99 HH-60G Pave Hawks, used primarily for combat search and rescue; 62 UH-1N Hueys, used for a variety of missions including nuclear-range security and VIP transport; 19 TH-1H Huey IIs, used to train Air Force helicopter pilots; and 18 tilt-rotor CV-22 Ospreys, used by Air Force Special Operations Forces. Nine more Huey IIs and 31 Ospreys are on the way. While helicopters aren't usually the first aircraft to come to mind when people think of the Air Force, the choppers are crucially important to fulfilling U.S. military missions, said Lt. Col. Scott Boyd, deputy chief of the SOF/PR division. Air Force Pave Hawks, in particular, have been heavily tasked in Afghanistan and are the go-to platform when troops are in trouble in hostile areas. "There are numerous stories, many of them very emotional, to understand what these aircraft do on the battlefield," Boyd said. "Pedro 66 is just one story among dozens you will find on the 60s." Likewise, the nuclear mission could not be performed without the Hueys, which ferry crews to missile silos and provide oversight during transport operations. Visitors to Washington are also likely to see shiny blue Huey's ferrying around VIPs. The Pentagon and Congress have recognized the importance of the choppers by recently announcing a recapitalization effort for the aging HH-60s and Hueys. The newer aircraft should start coming on line in about five years. Until then, the people who work in the rotary-wing branch here will have the responsibility of keeping the aging fleet going. One of those is Steve Fairfield, chief of the Pave Hawk section. He said the importance of their mission, and the combat-rescue motto "That Others May Live," is not lost on the people who work in the office. "We are helping someone who is really and truly in need," he said. "Pulling the wounded out or rescuing someone on a frozen mountain top ... that's a pretty awesome mission, and knowing we can help with that is a great thing." A couple of weeks ago he and other members of the section got to ride in an HH-60 which had flown here from Moody Air Force Base. It was piloted by an Airman who had a special story to tell. He was shot through both legs while flying in Afghanistan, and spent time in a field hospital next to the Pedro 66 pilot before he died. "Hearing that story from him, directly, had an impact on our team in understanding the importance of what they do," Boyd said.