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Pararescue Airman Karl Jay Froehlich, 74, beloved father, grandfather, and friend, passed away peacefully on Thursday, July 17, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas.
A celebration of Karl's life will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, August 22, 2025, at Wiley Funeral Center, 420 Highway 377 East, in Granbury, Texas. A committal service with military honors will follow at 3:00 PM that afternoon at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery.
Of Karl's many accomplishments, earning the right to be called a Pararescueman, proudly serving his country in time of war (Vietnam) and being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross are at the top of the list.
| | IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO JOIN US | | |
Come for the Brotherhood, stay for the fun. We are planning a Pararescue celebration in Helen, GA, to celebrate Pararescue's 82nd Anniversary. The event's dates are August 13 to 16, 2025. This event is a gathering of the Pararescue Brotherhood, and friends and family of Pararescue. The host hotel is the Helendorf River Inn, Suites & Conference Center, (706) 878-2271. Mark your Calendar. It's all about the Brotherhood. Conceal carry permits not required in Georgia.
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The Helendorf River Inn, Suites & Conference Center is located adjacent to a tubing/rafting river. Watch the rafter from the hotel or join them. Tubes are available or bring your own. There are campsites in the area if you prefer camping with your kids.
Hotel reservations are rolling in. No cost or registration fee required to attend. No fees for events or the hospitality room, just your lodging cost. Relax in the cool Georgia mountains with the PJ Brotherhood. Make your reservation today. Bring your family, your dog, bikes, etc. This makes for a very inexpensive family vacation. The point of contact is Larry Palmer, lepalmer@yahoo.com.
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Three steps it takes to attend this event:
- Mark your calendar for August 13-16, 2025.
- Make your lodging reservations for the same dates.
- Join the Brotherhood in Helen, GA
NOTE: No registration fees or costs, no timelines to deal with, no schedules and no hurry up and wait. Just show-up and relax in the cool Georgia mountains with the Brotherhood. Check out last year's photos below.
| | PJs Killed in Action - August | | |
CH-47 / Extortion 17 / Afghanistan / August 6, 2011
OH58 Helo/ Iraq / August 29, 2005
CH-47 / Extortion 17 / Afghanistan / August 6, 2011
| | PJ Killed in the Line of Duty - August | | |
HALO RAMZ deployment from HC-130 / Okinawa / August 13, 1998
| | ARA Symposium - October 2025 | | |
The 2025 Air Rescue Association Symposium this year is October 9 to 12, 2025, in Ft Walton Beach, FL. Mark your calendar. The host hotel is The Island Resort at Fort Walton Beach, formally the Ramada Inn on Okaloosa Island, a.k.a., PJ Central from back in the day. Below are links to Registration, Events and Hotel.
FYI: Price includes the Ice Breaker, Hospitality Room access, yes, we will have a hospitality room, and all events, except the Gala. Hotel pricing through the link below includes parking and resort fee. Point of contact is Jim Morris, jim@morris.net.
| | For all USAF Rescue PJ, and everyone else, linked below is the Air Rescue Association's semi-annual Newsletter, dated June 2025. It is in a printable PDF format. Enjoy! | | |
PJF Wilderness Retreat - North Conway, NH
Presidential Mountain Range
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PJF “Got Your Six Horsemanship” Retreat - Adler, MT
Upper Canyon Outreach
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Peter Kraines Memorial Golf Tournament - Whispering Pines, NC
The Country Club of Whispering Pines
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PJF Resilient Warrior - Operator & Spouse Retreat - Gettysburg, PA
Leadership & Freedom Center
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NOTE: For transparency sake, we’ve just completed and filed our 2024 IRS 990. And, we’re about to publish our 2024 Impact Report. Both documents can be found at the bottom of our website page.
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Are there any retired PJs living in Guam? A retired Army Special Forces Operator buddy of mine (Chuck Blakeslee's brother) is heading to Guam and is looking for a point of contact on the ground. Contact me with your contact info at Jim@Morris.net if your are in Guam. I'll pass the info on to him. Working for the Brotherhood. HooYah! Airborne! Rescue!
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This drawing was given to Ted Hawkins by Udo Fischer for his retirement. It was passed down to Ted's daughter, Sheila after his passing. She wished to pass it on by giving it to someone. After speaking with Udo's daughter, Susanne and again speaking with Sheila, Udo artwork is going back to Udo Fischer's family. In other words, it's going home. Thank you, Sheila.
| | NEW PITSENBARGER MEMORIAL | | |
This is the new Memorial for Medal of Honor recipient, William H "Bill" Pitsenbarger. This Memorial is the centerpiece at Miami Memorial Park, in Covington, OH, where Bill Pitsenbarger and several other PJs were laid to rest. The money was raised, the extremely large piece of granite was purchased and the etching and engraving is complete. The sidewalks and foundation are in and benches were installed, and the Memorial is in place.
The dedication date is set for October 15, 2025, at Miami Memorial Park, Covington, OH. Thank you to Ron Lennis and to the Pararescue Foundation for leading this project and arranging for the keynote speaker. The Pararescue Foundation is planning to host a reception after the dedication. Location TBD.
Pictured above is our Brother, Barry Wackler and wife Becky, and their grandson, Carson. They are the first visitors to the new Pitsenbarger Memorial in Covington, Ohio.
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William H Pitsenbarger's brass plaques were removed from his gravesite to be refurbished. They will be completed and reinstalled in time for the Memorial dedication, October 15, 2025.
A big thank you to our Brother, Barry Wackler for his work and support taking care of the Pararescue Memorial Parkway marker flags and keeping an eye on our PJ Brothers' gravesites. And another big thank you to Doug McGill, Larry Palmer, Tom Stone and Mike Sherman for their help with the Memorial's wordsmithing.
| | PJ to CIA OPERATIONS OFFICER | | PJ Ric Prado, CIA Operations Officer | | |
In the late 1960s, Enrique “Ric” Prado was a brawler who ran with local street gang, Miami Crowns. But the Cuban refugee also dearly loved his adopted home of the United States - so when anti-war protestors started burning American flags at Miami-Dade Junior College, Prado recruited his crew to fight the demonstrators.
After the Crowns stormed the campus and physically attacked them, the hippies scattered, the ground littered with broken protest signs and bead necklaces. The campus newspaper ran a piece about Cubans defending the American flag, which made Prado proud.
“That was a watershed moment,” Prado writes in his...
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I am collecting photos of all PJs (those with us and those who have passed) in uniform for an online album and for historical purposes. Email me your photos with names of those pictured with 'PJ Photos' in the subject line. Even if you cross-trained or switched services, send me your photos. Team photo are welcome too. I'll cleanup and optimize the photos as needed. I need names of those in the photos. Thank you.
I will add photos as I receive them. There may be a week or two process time. Send as many as you want. Email them to me at Jim@Morris.net with "PJ Photo" in the subject line. Thank you.
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New York Air National Guard Lt. Col. Marty Viera, a Rocky Point native, took command of the 106th Rescue Wing’s 103rd Rescue Squadron during a June 27, 2025, ceremony at Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach.
Although the ceremony marked the official change of command, Viera had already been leading the squadron since April.
The 103rd Rescue Squadron is composed of Air Force pararescuemen, known as PJs, combat rescue officers, and support staff.
These Airmen are trained to conduct combat search and rescue, technical rescue, and advanced emergency medical care in some of the world’s most challenging environments. Viera replaces Lt. Col. Sal Sferrazza, who is now retired.
Col. Sean Garell, commander of the 106th Operations and the presiding officer for the ceremony, praised Sferrazza for his professionalism and dedication and welcomed Viera to his new role.
“Leadership may change, but the mission endures and so does the spirit of the 103rd Rescue Squadron,” Garell said. “Your duty is to...
| | AIR FORCE SPECIAL WARFARE | | Air Force Special Warfare (AFSPECWAR) comprises highly trained, ground combat forces specializing in applying airpower in challenging environments. These Airmen are organized into Pararescue (PJ), Combat Control (CCT), Special Reconnaissance (SR), and Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) career fields. They integrate air, space, and cyber power with special operations and conventional forces to provide global access, precision strike, and personnel recovery capabilities. | | |
Mission:
- AFSPECWAR's core mission is to enable the application of airpower in austere and contested environments.
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Career Fields:
- Pararescue (PJ): Experts in combat search and rescue, providing medical expertise and recovery capabilities.
- Combat Control (CCT): Experts in air traffic control and terminal attack control, facilitating the movement of forces and equipment.
- Special Reconnaissance (SR): Conduct reconnaissance and surveillance operations, gathering intelligence and assessing battle damage.
- Tactical Air Control Party (TACP): Integrate air and ground operations, guiding air strikes and coordinating fire support.
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Training:
- AFSPECWAR personnel undergo rigorous physical and mental training, including specialized skills like diving, parachuting, and survival training.
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Integration:
- AFSPECWAR works closely with both conventional and special operations forces, often operating in the most demanding and challenging environments.
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Evolving Role:
- AFSPECWAR is continuously evolving to meet the demands of modern warfare, including integrating cyber and information operations.
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Selection Process:
- AFSPECWAR utilizes a rigorous assessment and selection process to identify individuals with the necessary physical and mental attributes.
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AF Special Warfare Video:
| | Piece #73 from the Udo Fisher Collection | | |
Here's another piece of artwork (#73) by PJ Extraordinar, CMSgt Udo Fischer, Retired, a.k.a., the Kraut. This collection consists of many years of drawing. I'll include a different piece in each monthly newsletter for your viewing pleasure.
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Special Operations PJ Video | |
U.S. Air Force Para Jumpers (PJ) are elite special operations combat forces tasked with locating and recovering downed airmen in any environment. Air Force Pararescuemen undergo some of the most rigorous training of any of the special operations forces in the U.S. military, with about an 80% attrition rate in the almost two year training pipeline. During "the Pipeline", Pararescuemen must also complete a 22 week Pararescue EMT-Paramedic Training course, which gives them a National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians-Paramedic (NREMT-P) certification.
Film Credits: MSgt Pedro Jimenez, SrA Braden Anderson, SrA John Pharr, SSgt Zach Vaughn, TSgt Amanda Helton.
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We are testing a new automated SMS (text message) delivery system. We will deliver the newsletter to your phone. During testing "Team Morris LLC' will appear at the top of the text message. You can opt-out anytime. Email delivery will continue.
Soon you will be able to download, save and print a hardcopy of the newsletter. It will be downloadable in a PDF format.
| | Special Operation Medicine | Check out Journal of Special Operations Medicine handbook store, both hardcopy and digital. Use code 'PJ10" to receive a discount. | | HONOR THE FALLEN DATABASE | | The link to a database below was established to honor those who fought and died in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn. Data provided by US Central Command. | | Tell Them Yourself: It’s Not Your Day to Die | | |
Tell Them Yourself is the extraordinary account of how a small group of world-class trauma experts joined forces with America’s best combat medics to rewrite the battlefield medicine rule book- and then sell these revolutionary new concepts to a disbelieving medical world.
Thousands of Americans wounded in combat died in Vietnam – when they could easily have been saved. More deaths than in the Twin Towers on 9/11. More deaths than Pearl Harbor. In 1990, there had been very little progress made in battlefield trauma care since the Civil War. However, the revolutionary new concepts embodied in Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) have changed that landscape dramatically.
Against great odds, TCCC has reduced the incidence of preventable deaths among combat casualties to the lowest level in history and has been credited with saving the lives of thousands of our nation’s wounded Servicemembers in the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. Department of Defense now mandates TCCC as the nation’s standard for battlefield trauma care.
TCCC has forever changed the way care will be provided to America’s combat wounded and is now being used by militaries around the world and in civilian prehospital trauma care as well.
Use code 'PJ10' to receive a discount.
| | It's Not Just for Widows Anymore | |
Bob Hope Village, a.k.a., Air Force Enlisted Village is a 501c3 nonprofit retirement community for retired married enlisted Airmen and widows of Airman.
Military families understand the life of service. You dress sharp, you report on time, and you stay ready to deploy on a moment’s notice - all for the country you love and the people that you care about. When retirement comes, you and your family have earned the chance to pass the torch, kick back and enjoy the lifestyle of retirement along the beautiful Florida coast. As a not-for-profit retirement community, Air Force Enlisted Village offers a proud and patriotic retirement lifestyle for veterans and surviving spouses.
Nestled along the beautiful Emerald Coast of northwest Florida in Shalimar, it is an active, friendly, fun-filled retirement community, giving you a worry-free lifestyle in a fantastic location within earshot of Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field. From independent living unit to assisted living and memory support, it give military families the easy-breezy retirement you’ve earned.
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Victory Village is a 501c3 nonprofit veteran senior living community with resources and services tailored to meet the financial, physical, mental, spiritual, and social needs of its residents. This blended community will be comprised of wounded warriors and their caregivers, the surviving spouses of retired enlisted Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, and Guardians, and retired enlisted couples.
To best care for our nation’s heroes and defenders - those who have sacrificed nearly everything, Victory Village will bridge the gap between medical and wellness needs. It’s our duty to ensure these aging service members receive complete support with a specialized continuum of care that will include the following services and amenities:
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- Multiple friendly communities and neighborhoods
- A multidenominational chapel that welcomes all faiths
- A community center with engaging events and activities
- An exercise center with a pool and fitness equipment
- Green spaces, walking paths and communal areas
- Innovative health and wellness services and therapies
- Concierge retail services and more
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A Tapestry of Diversity
Pararescuemen, Pararescue Airmen or PJs if you will, come from all walks of life, all backgrounds, all races and cultures, all 50 states and from some allied countries. PJs are United States Air Force Special Warfare Airmen who conduct personnel recovery and combat search and rescue operations missions for the U.S. military and its allies behind enemy lines, in hostel and contested areas around the world and in civilian communities.
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As highly trained special operators, PJs generally work in small teams or attached to SEAL teams, Army Ranger units and Army Special Forces A teams. PJs also supported NASA missions, and have recovered astronauts after reentry, and supported astronaut rescue and recovery from Space Shuttles emergency reentries and open water ditching.
| | Working for the Brotherhood | | |
This newsletter is self funded. It is developed for the Pararescue Brotherhood by a retired PJ. It was developed to replace and fill the void left by the PJ AIG when its intent changed. It is a nonpartisan, apolitical, non-bias, non self-serving and non self-promoting newsletter.
If you have something you'd like to share with others in the Newsletter, pass something onto the Brotherhood, share a special interest story, connect with a long-lost military Brother, promote a military event, etc., email me, the editor, at Jim@Morris.net with 'PJ Newsletter' in the subject line. All is subject to review.
Are you are a writer, artist, cartoonist, etc.? We will include your content subject to review. If you are a published author of something military related or something that beneficial to the community, send us the information for review and we will help you market it.
| | HooYah! Airborne! Rescue! | | |
Disclaimer: The visual appearance or written content in thi newsletter does not imply an endorsement.
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