VMR-1 Earns top SAR honors

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VMR-1 Earns top SAR honors
Submitted by: MCAS Cherry Point
Story Identification #: 2004623143233
Story by Lance Cpl. Rocco DeFilippis



MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C.(June 17, 2004) -- Combat Support Helicopter Squadron 3, the Chief of Naval Operations search and rescue model manager, has awarded Cherry Point 's Marine Transport Squadron 1 the Chief of Naval Operations SAR Excellence Award.

The Marines and Sailors of VMR-1 beat out the two other Marine squadrons and over 40 Navy squadrons to claim the prestigious title at a ceremony in California June 18.

"All of the Marines and Sailors here are completely mission oriented," said Maj. Kurt C. Miller, VMR-1 SAR branch head, and native of Houston. "Every one is willing to do what it takes to get the job done, from the air crew to the entire maintenance department."

Pedro 's impressive numbers and excellence in the search and rescue field made the squadron a shoe in for the award. With over 150 calls, resulting in 99 reportable missions, Pedro accounted for over 26 percent of all naval service SAR missions during 2003.

"Nobody came close to the amount of missions we flew last year," said Miller. "We nearly doubled the numbers of any other squadron."

Pedro 's job description and area of responsibility kept and continue to keep the Marines and Sailors hard at work to save lives.

From east of Interstate 95, from the South Carolina border to the border of Virginia, Pedro handles SAR calls ranging from at sea rescues and motor vehicle accidents, to inter hospital patient transfers.

"This is a team sport," said Petty Officer 1 st Class Michael B. Ford, SAR corpsman, and native of Round Lake Beach, Ill. "It took everyone from the operations clerk to the aircraft maintainers and aircrew working together as a team to win this award."

With the new addition of the Chief of Naval Operations Search and Rescue Excellence award, the Roadrunners of VMR-1 have achieved top level recognition in all three platforms of the squadrons mission; short and medium range rapid response /high speed multipurpose light transport of key personnel and critical logistics support to the Department of Defense, as well as Search and Rescue.

The squadron recently won two Joint Operations Support Airlift Center awards for air travel achievements in the first quarter of fiscal year 2004.

With the summer season ahead of them, the Roadrunners don 't have the option of taking a break to enjoy their new award; last July brought 22 of the SAR sections 99 total missions alone.

"The vast amount of local missions that we fly are indicative of how much this community and region depend on Pedro for search and rescue services," Miller said. Also, those 99 missions are only the number of reportable missions that are applicable to this award. "This award is further evidence that Pedro is absolutely required here in Eastern North Carolina."



Petty Officer 2nd Class Mathew Bonnett, corpsman with Marine Transport Squadron 1, rappels from VMR-1's Pedro Rescue Helicopter at U.S. Coast Guard Lighthouse Frying Pan Shoals. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Rocco DeFilippis

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn20...6?opendocument


Ellie