Night Mission: Flying With an Elite Search and Rescue Team in Afghanistan

A forward base in Orgun-E, Afghanistan.

The American doctors here amputated the leg of the policeman and patched up the bladder and bowel of another who was riddled with small arms fire. The amputee "was really on death's door," said Maj. Joe Winter, the chief nurse at the field hospital. "We had a massive resuscitation."

This was the patient loaded on Minshew and Roden's helicopter—an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter, a souped-up version of the Black Hawk. He was wrapped in what's known around here as a "space blanket," a shimmery material that looks not unlike aluminum foil, to prevent shock. On the chopper, the policeman was unconscious but moving his still-intact leg back and forth. Roden gently held it down; the worry was that the policeman might have a pelvic fracture, too, and might sever an artery if he moved too much. Senior Airman Adam Morcum of Madison, Va., grabbed a syringe and administered a sedative, jotting down dosages on his rubber-gloved hand with a Sharpie pen.

The two helos touched down at Bagram Air Base and delivered their patients to the emergency room doctors. The PJs walked with the gurneys and briefed the medical staff.

At the meeting in the 210th tactical operations center afterward, the squadron gathered to discuss the mission and the tricky nature of altitude and oxygen intake for the patients, who went through all of the available oxygen on board the aircraft flying at such heights. "We got everyone here alive without any deterioration of the patients," said Capt. Matt Hudkins, the flight surgeon for the squadron.

A gunner from the 210th congratulated the PJs on their good work, and a PJ in turn congratulated the members of the 210th on their good flying. From the back of the briefing room, someone called out, "Oh, group hug." And then they all got back to work.