The 23rd Wing soared to success at the 2025 Air Rescue Symposium, where the 347th Rescue Group earned Rescue Mission of the Year and Staff Sgt. Dylin Hartman was named Maintainer of the Year at a ceremony at Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Oct. 11, 2025.

These awards highlight the outstanding performance, heroism and coordination of 347th RQG Airmen during a complex Feb. 7, 2025, personnel recovery mission that saved the lives of two U.S. coalition members in a time-critical medical evacuation operation. Hartman earned the prestigious award for his expert maintenance that ensured the success of that mission — and many others — during his time deployed with that rescue crew.

“These awards are a direct reflection of our team’s unwavering commitment, skill and courage,” said Col. Sean Hall, 23d Wing Commander. “At every level of leadership, we stand behind them — ready to support, empower and recognize the incredible work they do to carry out the rescue mission and save lives.”

The specific event that saved two lives took place in February, where two critically injured service members needed an immediate evacuation to a robust medical facility. Severe weather had grounded the on-call U.S. Army rotary-wing asset, and experts anticipated a two-hour timeframe for travel and patient transfer. With every minute counting, the Personnel Recovery Task Force was activated. An HC-130J Combat King II, two HH-60W Jolly Green IIs and a team of pararescue experts jumped into action.

It was controlled chaos.

“Our role in this mission was to provide MEDEVAC support,” said Tech. Sgt. Jacob Brown, 71st Rescue Squadron loadmaster. “With (the original helicopter) not being able to fly, we ended up providing the ability to fly over weather. The biggest challenge was the severe weather, which other mission sets couldn’t safely operate in. We also had to reconfigure the aircraft mid-flight to accommodate two patients — one of whom was on life support. The HH-60s picked up the patients from the forward operating base (FOB) and brought them to a runway-equipped base. We worked closely with them throughout, providing real-time weather updates and guidance to help them navigate through the conditions. Once on the ground, the pararescuemen transferred the patients to our aircraft and continued with us to the final destination, coordinating enroute to ensure the plane was set up properly, so no time was wasted upon transfer.”

As the HC-130 took off, the crew pushed to maximum airspeed, minimizing fuel reserves to reduce response time. At the same time, they secured emergency airspace access and reconfigured the cargo bay for multi-patient transport. Despite storm conditions and surface-to-air missile threats, they reached the first pickup point ahead of schedule.

“Our main goal was the patient,” said Capt. Thomas Kling, 38th Rescue Squadron combat rescue officer. “We had to coordinate the transfer, understand the patient’s medical needs and figure out how it all factored into the timeline and the mission. We also had to coordinate a plan for handing off the patients, ensuring they would be ready to receive the patient in the same condition we handed them off in. The operational goal, or end state, was to get two patients from dislocated locations and transfer them to a higher level of care. On the paramedic side, those guys worked hard to keep the patients as comfortable and well-treated as possible throughout the entire transfer.”

“The operational goals were achieved through strong coordination and a clear understanding of what needed to be done to make the mission successful and efficient, as well as the ability to adapt to changing conditions,” Kling continued. “It all goes back to the training we do. You want to step out the door knowing that whatever challenges or problems you face, you’re prepared for them. Our career field is very focused on contingency planning and creating problem solvers.”

Once on the ground, the six pararescuemen of the fixed-wing team, flight doctor and loadmasters efficiently assessed and prepared the first patient for in-flight treatment. During the flight, the team provided critical airway interventions as the patient was no longer breathing on his own, keeping him stable during the mission. After delivering to the medical facility, the fixed-wing team communicated with a new ground surgical team to provide the best care possible for the patient.

While the HC-130 crew focused on that patient, the HH-60W team was transporting the second patient to a forward transload location. Conditions remained difficult. After confirming their ice protection systems were functional, the helicopters launched, following a lead aircraft to test the weather and maintaining a five-mile instrument trail throughout the flight. About 10 minutes before arrival, the mission was thrown another curveball as the landing zone had to be changed to an unfamiliar pad.

“We were about 10 minutes out when they cleared us to land at a completely different pad none of us had heard of,” said Capt. Piper Ritchie, 41st Rescue Squadron pilot. “I was scrambling through all our mission systems to find anything. Eventually, someone passed me a coordinate I could plug in. The weather was so bad that we ended up flying an approach to the runway, holding a 100-foot hover, and creeping forward at about 10 knots toward the new landing zone. Thankfully, we spotted it in time and pulled off a clean, simple turning approach.”

After securing up the patient, they transloaded him onto the HC-130 for its second journey to the medical center. As before, the crew had to reroute around thunderstorms, perform critical fuel calculations, and adjust for the patient’s condition — all while racing against time to save a life. They arrived just in time for emergency surgery.

Behind the scenes, a critical challenge threatened the mission before it even began. During preflight checks, the HC-130’s flying crew chiefs identified a failed bus interface unit — a key component that could’ve grounded the aircraft. Thanks to the expertise and quick response of the 71st Rescue Generation Squadron, the issue was diagnosed and resolved in 23 minutes, six minutes faster than projected.

Remember, every minute counts, and Hartman’s maintenance expertise was critical to mission accomplishment.

Hartman’s year was full of similar exemplary work, with 4,400 alert hours, 20 combat sorties, 245 deployed missions and unwavering support to operations spanning from Navy refueling to hurricane evacuations and international counter-narcotics efforts. His recognition at the symposium underscored the often-unseen but mission-critical role maintainers play in enabling rescue operations to succeed.

“I think the 71st RGS role while deployed really showcased my abilities and willingness to do what it takes to get the mission done,” Hartman said. “At surface level, it feels good to be recognized for the passion I put into my work. It showcases my success in being adaptable and resilient. I adopted the mindset of knowing that the enemy does not wait for you to finish troubleshooting a faulty aircraft component, so you need to be able to get things done quickly and the right way the first time.”

The mission’s success reflected the tight-knit integration between Moody’s maintenance and the rescue triad: the 38th, 41st, and 71st Rescue Squadrons.

“This is why we have the rescue triad,” said Ritchie. “You will never convince me that we do not need rescue, because it is so important. The trust I have in my crew is the same trust I have in the 38th RQS and 71st RQS.” Brown agreed, highlighting the importance of interagency interoperability and noting that while training often focuses on the HC-130, real-world missions show how essential and distinct each unit's role is.

“It is cool to see how you can just take all these people from different backgrounds and give them time and a common problem to solve and they will mesh together to get the mission done,” Kling added. “When you are in a room with the rescue triad and we are planning something, everyone's full mind and heart are in it.”

That commitment is solidified through Col. Brian Desautels, 347th RQG commander, who emphasized the dedication and cohesion required to fulfill such a mission.

“I believe our Airmen are willing to put everything on the line when one of our own or our joint partners is having the worst day of their lives,” Desautels said. “What we do within rescue, under the motto ‘That Others May Live,’ is truly embodied in this mission. It calls upon all parts of the rescue triad to come together. When they get opportunities to train together and build those personal relationships during training, they really come together and gel as a team when called upon. This mission validates the training we conduct, and the way we push ourselves enables our Airmen to execute exceptionally well in the face of challenges that fall within what we call the ‘grey area’ — those unknowns like weather difficulties, aircraft malfunctions and mission uncertainties based on threats or changing patient care needs.”

“We maintain very high standards, openly sharing training failures so we can collectively learn and improve,” Desautels continued “We are always chasing perfection, and when we don’t quite reach it, we catch excellence along the way. This mindset truly makes our Airmen stand out in the rescue community. When called upon, they step up and accomplish the mission exceptionally well.”

Desautels’ words echoed the spirit of the event, where base leadership and rescue Airmen across the service gathered at the Air Rescue Symposium to recognize the mission’s significance and its example of excellence across the rescue community.

These awards honor the 347th RQG heroism and Hartman’s dedication, while highlighting Team Moody’s vital role in combat rescue, maintenance excellence and mission readiness.

“These awards celebrate more than individual achievement, they represent the collective dedication and excellence of Team Moody,” Hall said. “Our rescue and maintenance Airmen embody the spirit of service and readiness that defines the wing. Their success not only saves lives but also raises the standard for all of us, inspiring every Airman to bring their best every day.”