The 212th Rescue Squadron (212 RQS) is a specialized unit within the Alaska Air National Guard's 176th Wing, recognized for its high level of training and operational readiness. Stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, the squadron conducts Personnel Recovery Operations, including Combat and peacetime Search and Rescue, emergency response, medical evacuations, and humanitarian missions.
Comprising Combat Rescue Officers (CROs) and pararescuemen known as Para-Jumpers (PJs), the squadron undergoes rigorous training. These soldiers often collaborate with other elite military units such as SEALs and Army Green Berets. Their training encompasses various environments and skills, focusing on combat medicine, survival techniques, special tactics, parachuting, scuba diving, and mountaineering.
"The pararescuemen possess the expertise to execute life-saving missions in the harshest and most austere environments," states the 176th Wing. CROs lead operations to ensure mission success while sharing similar training experiences with PJs.