Archive image: An Alaska Air National Guard’s 176th Wing HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter, assigned to the 210th Rescue Squadron, passes over Otter Lake during a skills demonstration at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, May 30, 2025.
AKANG HH-60G Pave Hawk aviators and Guardian Angels, assigned to the 210th and 212th Rescue Squadrons, respectively, conducted helocast training for the demonstration.
Helocasting involves inserting rescue personnel from a hovering helicopter into water to reach survivors in hard-to-access environments.
Alaska National Guard photo by Alejandro Peña.
Story by Staff Sgt. Daniel Bellerive, 176th Wing
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – Alaska Air National Guard 176th Wing HH-60G Pave Hawk aircrew and Guardian Angel pararescuemen conducted the rescue of two survivors involved in a plane crash near Ruth Glacier, Denali National Park. October 19, 2025.
The Alaska Rescue Coordination Center (AKRCC) opened the mission in response to a request from the National Park Service to rescue two uninjured individuals involved in a plane crash near Ruth Glacier within the Denali National Park. The Denali National Park encompasses an area of over 7,400 square miles.
The 176th Operations Group search and rescue duty officer accepted the mission and dispatched a 210th Rescue Squadron HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter with 212th Rescue Squadron ‘Guardian Angel’ on board from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. The HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue aircrew departed to the crash site within one hour of notification.
The Guardian Angel PJs rendered medical aid onboard the HH-60G Pave Hawk and the helicopter aircrew transported them to the Anchorage area. Once on ground the patients were tranferred to the Anchorage Fire Department personnel.
Chief Master Sgt. Christopher Bowerfind, the Senior Enlisted Leader for the Alaska National Guard Joint Staff, said that this mission highlights the organization’s ethos of being “always ready, always there.”
“The Alaska National Guard is a true 24/7 organization” Bowerfind said. “While the Alaska Organized Militia is leading one of the largest evacuations in the state’s history and carrying out recovery efforts, our aircrew, maintainers, and support personnel remain on alert to fulfill our broader mission of supporting the state.”
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