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24 AUGUST 2017 | EMSWORLD.com Afghanistan. We found it to be very effec- tive for pain control. It also doesn't affect respiration like opiates can. In addition, it can have a hypnotic effect, so the patient doesn't remember as much of the event. "In addition to the medical currency requirements, we must remain current on all of our combat skills as well. This would include scuba, mountain rescue, survival, weapons, rope rescue, confined-space res- cue and parachute training. There are 39 dif- ferent combat currency requirements that must be met. That really drives our annual training plans each year. We train above and beyond our currency to build proficiency in those skill sets." Vehicles The PJs stock a wide variety of vehicles to insert and extract themselves and any patients they need to evacuate. They have ATVs that can be deployed by parachute for missions where they may have to travel some distance from their insertion site. They have inflatable boats with outboard motors that can be dropped by parachute and inflated with an air tank for ocean-rescue scenarios or when using a body of water to insert a team. A newer water-rescue boat is called the Guardian Angel Rescue Craft. It is like a per- sonal watercraft but larger and designed to pick up several victims in a mass-casualty situation. Since it's powered by water jets, it has no props that could injure victims in the water. It can also be deployed by parachute. They have Humvees and Polaris Sportsman 800 ATVs, and some units have dirt bikes in the 250–400cc range. They also have the military version of the Polaris MRZR Razor ATVs in two- and four-seat versions. A new vehicle still in testing is the Guardian Angel Air-Deployable Rescue Vehicle, which is a very large ATV that looks like a stripped-down Humvee. It is designed to carry a crew of three and a patient. It has mounts for machine guns and is also deployable by parachute. Most PJ squadrons also have snowmobiles. Twice a year the USAF special operations communities meet to discuss equipment and vehicle needs. They develop requirements and identify off-the-shelf commercial solu- tions that could meet those requirements. In addition there is a unit that tests and evalu- ates commercial equipment and works with vendors to develop special equipment to meet PJs' needs. The C-130 Hercules four-engine turbo- prop is the standard fixed-wing aircraft PJs being inserted by an HH-60G rescue helicopter for a water-rescue exercise. PJs will be called on for any over-water rescues during planned NASA manned space flights. "In addition to the medical currency requirements, we must remain current on all of our combat skills as well. This would include scuba, mountain rescue, survival, weapons, rope rescue, confined-space rescue and parachute training."