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CNN Sunday Morning

U.S. Military is Committed to Rescue Missions

Aired October 21, 2001 - 08:38   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: This morning we've been speaking with CNN military analyst General David Grange about Friday's hit and run mission in Afghanistan. And certainly a very large part of any mission in enemy territory is training for search and rescue missions. And clearly, that is a very important commitment on the part of the United States to its military personnel, should they get in trouble on the ground, say, in Afghanistan?

GEN. DAVID GRANGE (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Absolutely. One thing our Armed Forces personnel know that we'll come in and get them if they run into trouble. This has been demonstrated through the Vietnam War. It was demonstrated in Somalia. It was demonstrated in Grenada. I saw that first-hand, getting a Marine pilot that went that. Demonstrated most recently in Bosnia and Kosovo.

SAVIDGE: So what we've done is sort of put together with the use of the telestrator a scenario in which we look at an individual, could be a pilot, I suppose could be an isolated soldier as well, but someone on the ground that is, in this case, issuing a distress signal to friendly forces.

GRANGE: Absolutely. Distress signal by radio beacon of some type. Of course, a lot of that is protected information how that's done, but that goes up to some type of an aircraft.

SAVIDGE: And as we progress along in our scenario here, what do we have?

GRANGE: Usually you have some type of fighter aircraft that might've been in the area over-watching the operational area that provides support, initially, if needed.

SAVIDGE: And what can they do from up there though?

GRANGE: Well, they could call in fires on any advancing reaction force, enemy forces may send to a location where the -- our pilot went down. You could also use the AC-130 gunship that's been operating in this theater of operations for a while. They can also provide closer in coverage to the downed pilot.

SAVIDGE: And then eventually the goal is, you need to get someone there to retrieve it?

GRANGE: Right, and this could be done by a variety type of helicopters, to go ahead and pick up our downed pilot and then retrieve them back to a safe area. The extraction then takes place with the helicopters departing the area. And then normally, after that's done, we go ahead and the other air support covers that extraction from different levels in altitude until it's complete.

SAVIDGE: Let me run through this fairly quickly here. It can be a lengthy process, even days, correct?

GRANGE: Well, absolutely. As you recall, the downed pilot in Bosnia did take several days, but the point is, we had the perseverance to go ahead and get our people out.

SAVIDGE: All right. Thank you very much. It's welcome news, obviously, not only to the families at home, but to those are waiting on the ground.

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