Why the Marine Corps is Partnering with Elite Air Force Pararescue Jumpers in Africa and Europe by Shawn Snow – Marine Corps Times
Any response by Marine forces based out of Europe to a crisis in Africa would have to overcome the tyranny of distance and time, meaning help could be a long way off.
Even with the speed and long-distance capabilities afforded by tilt-rotor aircraft like MV-22 Ospreys, it can take hours for help to arrive in the Africa Command, or AFRICOM, area of responsibility.
It took nearly 23 hours for Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team Marines responding to the 2012 Benghazi, Libya, attack to arrive in Tripoli.
Marines and U.S. government personnel are at risk operating in this austere and vast geographical environment, as it could take hours for wounded civilians or Marines whisked off a chaotic battlefield to arrive at a higher echelon of hospital care.
That also means responding to downed aircraft, rescuing pilots or personnel can be a laborious task fraught with complex hurdles.
To ameliorate this challenge, the Corps is now partnering with elite Air Force Guardian Angel Pararescue Jumpers, also known as PJs…