NASA astronaut recovery training - USAF pararescue jump

Joint NASA-USAF exercise deploying rescuers and equipment out the back of a C-17

[@johnratliff318]

Wow, that C-17 is huge; much different than the C-130 we jumped from in the 1960s and 1970s.

[@RideFreestyleOhio]

John Ratliff I usually work around the C-17 and C-5, but after spending all day on a C-130H the size difference was crazy. We parked next to a C-17 and that’s when I noticed how big it is after 3 years of working on them.

[@johnratliff318]

You should have seen us jumping parascuba out of the left side hatch of a HU-16B Albatross amphibian aircraft in 1968. That was the aircraft that PJs jumped for the Gemini VIII spacecraft when it landed in the Pacific after an in-flight emergency.

[@cmnieman1]

Mr. Ratliff, I sure would love to hear some of your stories. If you have any written, I would love to read. If there is nothing down on paper I would love to facilitate getting your stories recorded for history, so that they will never be forgotten. Far too many people let the past go unrecorded and lost forever. If you reply I will send you direct contact information. Hope to hear from you soon. Thank You and God Bless.

[@johnratliff318]

@@cmnieman1 Thank you for your post here. Please go to my Facebook page, and send me a request, so we can communicate. You can send me a message there, and I'll share my e-mail with you. I have a book mostly written, but don't know how to get it out. Here's what I have written about this book. Between Air and Water, the Memoir of an Air Force Pararescueman Navigating the Moral Dilemmas of Service Life in the Vietnam Era. Negotiating Life's Pathway While Coming of Age During America's Vietnam War. Between Air and Water, the Memoir of an USAF Pararescueman has been a decades-long undertaking. It chronicles the life of John C. Ratliff, who became an Air Force Pararescueman during the Vietnam War, from 1967 to 1977. John relates not only the personalities he met (do you know the name of even one Vietnam War hero?), but also some of the moral dilemmas that he had to work through using his letters and diary notes for reference. This book takes the reader on a journey through tough military training, the times of the Pueblo Incident, the shoot-down of the EC-121 intelligence aircraft off North Korea, Apollo recovery training, Apollo 13’s launch and recovery, and the fist trans-Pacific flight of helicopters. John then volunteered to extend his enlistment to go to Vietnam and experience combat rescue with the 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron at DaNang, Vietnam in 1970. In the spirit of None Braver, by Michael Hirsh, but a generation earlier, John takes us through a participant’s account of both combat and non-combat rescue missions in the Vietnam era. by John C. Ratliff

[@johnratliff318]

Here is my Facebook Page: facebook.com/john.ratliff.5492

[@anthonyreich3515]

Love the orange shirts. Reminds me of Mt Hood.

[@jonburrows7874]

PJ's : the ivy league of special forces.

[@saltyassassin]

Combat Control: The red headed step children of Special Warfare. Wouldn’t want it any other way

[@smurfunkown6774]

EXACTLY 💯

[@pmeine]

I was a paratrooper and JM in the 82nd, we wouldn't do free fall like this but would drop trucks and cannons and other equipment out of a c-17 and the follow it with a static line jump, those were always fun nights. Cool vid!

[@REXXltm14]

love that everyone who can is recording it

[@Bunchee032]

If SEALS would stop blowing all of Hollywood for movies, someone could maybe take a look into PJ’s. They are some of the most highly trained & elite warriors in the Armed Forces.

[@ChangedMountain1]

I mean I guess if PJs we’re actually good at their job💀

[@Food24112]

SEALS are more trained. That's why they're the most elite fighters in our military

[@frankcastle5285]

Food 2411 You sound stupid asf, Delta and Devgru are the elites

[@ChangedMountain1]

Food 2411 eh well if you’re talking about training in everything no. They specialize in what they do but they aren’t the most highly trained in everything. CAG,DEVGRU,RRC,and 24th STS are the best in the United States hands down.

[@jonburrows7874]

The seals don't determine if Hollywood makes a movie or not.

[@MrUSApatriot01]

I’m a rigger that helps maintain that gear for the human space flight mission, awesome to see.

[@ODucks55]

Let me see....NASA, pj’s & a narrow sandy beach coast line. Must be the 920th out of Patrick AFB, FL. Love that place! Thanks for video.

[@Paulnikon]

920th

[@rileyandmike]

Veritatis Cupitor 308th ParaRescue

[@ranger11166]

did the guy in the last group jump out in vans hahahaha gotta love PJs

[@cmnieman1]

No those weren't Vans, they were dive boots/fin socks, whatever you want to call them, they're neoprene with rubber on the bottom to make them walkable, but also flexible for when the fin goes over.

[@ranger11166]

@@cmnieman1 Pretty sure they were actually Altimas OTB (over the beach) or maybe Chuck Taylors. A lot of SOF guys wear those because walking long distance in dive boots is absolute crap! Altimas and Chucks are great for finning and walking if the mission calls for it.

[@smurfunkown6774]

@@cmnieman1 ty

[@spwb2k]

Worthy!

[@jasestrong]

Bad ass , true silent warriors!

[@MaidenUtah1]

Great footage, but it makes me wonder about a real bread and butter mission: rescuing a downed U2 or SR-71 pilot.

[@Keksstar]

That must be fun standing there at the edge with the open cargo door :-)

[@mickleblade]

He's tied on well!

[@stevesmith5653]

Left him hangin on that knuckles

[@iennuocmanhtan]

you are pro

[@tedh.8356]

As a kid in the 60's, I always thought the UDT's recovered the Astronaut's ? even though they existed you never heard of Air Force PJ's. I only did after joining the Air Force and while stationed at Zaragoza AB, Zaragoza Spain there was a PJ rescue unit there before PJ's,CCT, SOWT were brought into SOCOM and they became "Known"......

[@Incessuserro]

Becoming "Known" is when shit starts to go bad.

[@tedh.8356]

@@Incessuserro Yeah look at the "SEALS" they used to be a mystery, then all of the books and movies and now in some ways they have gone bad......

[@vtwinbuilder3129]

The UDT teams definitely did the rescues early on in the pace program, that is well documented. They handled all the recoveries from the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions. They became somewhat unnecessary when the shuttle program started since it recovered via a runway like a conventional airplane so they would’ve trained for a rescue mission should the astronauts have had to bail out. I’m assuming the Navy would still handle the rescue/recovery if it was far enough out to sea, however they appear to be right off the coast here so I think this would be appropriate “territory” so to speak for PJ’s to handle the rescue.

[@tedh.8356]

@@vtwinbuilder3129 I do remember always seeing Navy helicopters at that time so most likely you are right. And the Navy would have had ships further out for a Shuttle Rescue to but when it comes to "Rescue Swimmers" isn't that now more Coast Guard or Air Force PJ ? seems like now with the Navy their Divers are either "SEALS" , SWCC Teams or Salvage but not rescue?

[@vtwinbuilder3129]

Ted H. Actually the Navy has its own rescue swimmers as well that specialize in that a lot like the Coast Gaurd. AF Spec Ops guys have a lot of secondary jobs that aren’t advertised. For instance they saved people during hurricanes here stateside and abroad. Combat rescues are their bread and butter but they are rare.

[@user-ch8ie2vm8g]

wow amzing

[@Chogogo717]

Out the door with fins on has got to complicate the jump. Cool video! I’ve always wondered how they recover their canopy after they’re in the water.

[@Chogogo717]

ROBERT DEAN bummer.

[@cmnieman1]

Canopy sinks. Some/most training jumps they'll be collected by support staff, but in a real life scenerio they're sent to Davey Jones.

[@danpass12]

Is it really better to have fins on when in the cabin? (and avoid putting them on when in the water) I saw only one jumper with fins on calves.

[@MikeFoxtrot1]

When Delta and Seals need help, they call PJ's.

[@kenhoffman7142]

I believe this was training originated from Eglin AFB, this is definitely FL, if this was a real deployment, everything would have been 1000% sped up. I wish they would post some video and I have none of PJ's working with a USCG deployment package for actual maritime rescue.

[@cmnieman1]

So the first group was launched at a lower altitude, correct? And how waterproof are the comms they were wearing?

[@TridiverParanormal]

Im assuming bassed on 16 years as a pj that the altitude was the same. The altitude limitation is for the jumpers, not the equipment. In this case the lowest they can jump with free fall chutes for training is 3500 ft awl. If they are using static line chutes then both jumpers and equipment can go much lower. Yes the radios are waterproof.

[@maverickmo8976]

@@TridiverParanormal Hi! I am interested in search and rescue. Any advice for someone who may want to be a PJ? Is IronMan Triathlon level fitness good enough? Any specific things you'd say to be careful of or to focus on most? I know water training is really important. I appreciate your help! Thank you

[@Veteran_Aviator]

Big Country you need to be as fit as possible. An Ironman level of fitness would be great. It’s your mind that needs to be tough. You will burn 7-9k calories a day during selection for 12 weeks. And that just gets you into the pipeline.

[@saldodson7025]

what altitude on pass 2? just asking, s/l duck and mff

[@tfdtfdtfd]

what happens to all the wooden pallets underneath the boats? do they get recovered somehow?

[@nickbazzo7713]

no, they dont recover them.

[@clayyosten2833]

They sink into the depths of the ocean, never to be seen again .

[@fyrelsfolly9875]

It was hard enough to avoid slipping on those rollers with boots on...

[@seanmcginley8052]

Perfection profected.

[@larskrabbe3707]

Flew right over my house

[@dingerbell100]

Well there’s a quarter of an hour I’ll never get back. Love the shorts ... they will be useful in blue water deep ocean rescue operations. Love the comments regarding how far USAF PJs can piss vs DELTA, DEVGRU or MARSOC. USAF PJs stay in lane. Keyboard warriors build them into something they are not.

[@Orcaben1]

16:00 what's that circle stuck to his neck?

[@mrdrummer2564]

16:07 how come the dude never put his flippers on? Wouldn't it be a pain in the ass to put them on while in the water?

[@kenhoffman7142]

Nope actually easy and can walk better on the deck

[@MegaPunisher777]

Chuck Norris would have jumped without parachute...

[@iennuocmanhtan]

hi i from viet nam

[@Yama00]

SO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH RIBBS BEING DAMAGED BY UNDERWATER OBSTRUCTIONS LIKE CORRALS AND YOU'RE LOSING YOUR SHIRTS OVER IT? HAVE YOU TRIED REMOVABLE SEALED HOLLOW ABS OR TEFLON LATERAL SLATS, SECURED BY GIANT VELKRO BACKING OR WINGNUT SCREWS? THE SLATS CAN BE REMOVED TO CARRY... STUFF, OR... INJURED PERSONNEL WITH BUILT IN HANDLE CUTOUTS? OR... ACT AS PERSONAL PADDLEBOARDS/LIFERAFTS? DOES ANYONE IN THE DOD HAVE A GODDAMNED BRAIN ANYMORE??? HELLO???

[@gilbertomanvailer2070]

Forças americana não tem pra ninguém!! 🇧🇷🇮🇱🇺🇸

[@user-jm6nj8ds3p]

عَشَرَةَ فَوَارِسَ طَلِيعَةً . قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : ( إِنِّي لَأَعْرِفُ أَسْمَاءَهُمْ وَأَسْمَاءَ آبَائِهِمْ وَأَلْوَانَ خُيُولِهِمْ هُمْ خَيْرُ فَوَارِسَ عَلَى ظَهْرِ الْأَرْضِ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَوْ مِنْ خَيْرِ فَوَارِسَ عَلَى ظَهْرِ الْأَرْضِ يَوْمَئِذٍ ) 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥قال الله تعالى (قُلْ جَاءَ الْحَقُّ وَمَا يُبْدِئُ الْبَاطِلُ وَمَا يُعِيدُ ) قال الله تعالى(بَلْ نَقْذِفُ بِالْحَقِّ عَلَى الْبَاطِلِ فَيَدْمَغُهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقٌ ۚ وَلَكُمُ الْوَيْلُ مِمَّا تَصِفُونَ (18) قال آلله تعالى(وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ۖ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ) زٍدَ زِدَ زٍدَ يا آلله في اطرف بقاله وليس فقط الاسواق والمنتزهات والشواطي وباجي وشكرا يا آلله

[@user-vo3wl4mm3z]

マフィアだもん🐱

[@andrewgiordano5275]

I always thought the Navy was responsible for astronaut recovery.

[@nunppukdee4869]

งง

[@jonw1958]

"aNy VegAnS hEre ToNiGt?"

[@Li-xk8jb]

👍👍👍🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷💪💪💪💪💪✌️✌️✌️✌️

[@RobertoLopez-zr7dk]

Rather this looks like a job for the US NAVY

[@gew9487]

Navy would take too long to get there. Rescue planes there within minutes of touchdown. PJs on it more quickly. More timely, more efficient.❣

[@user-vo3wl4mm3z]

あに〜はねプータローじゃないよ🐈

[@user-vo3wl4mm3z]

ニートでもないよ🐈

[@Yama00]

ORANGE AIRDROP VICTIMS. AMERICA SALUTES YOUR POINTLESS SACRIFICE!

[@paulhetherington3854]

More illegal-- DOD video useage, on public nets?

[@benjaminsorenson]

How is this in any way illegal, especially when the video has explicitly to do with NASA?