Lt. Col. Koaalii C. Bailey is a United States Air Power Fight Rescue Officer presently serving because the Commander on the 308th Rescue Squadron, a place he has held since July 2022. His job is actually to Command and lead warriors to save lots of lives when referred to as upon.
“Being in command means I’ve a chance to serve extra individuals. My job is to guide, arrange, practice, and equip, Pararescue Warriors to be their finest when issues couldn’t worsen for a service member in want Rescue”
Clearly, the husband and father of three should keep prepared and in prime form to carry out his job to the perfect of his capacity, which requires him to be “Able to Combat Tonight”. Fortuitously for him, that’s one thing he has cultivated right into a behavior and life-style.
“When you’re going to name your self a warrior– health is just not non-obligatory,” stated the previous school soccer participant. “Demanding your absolute better of your self will make the distinction when chaos and uncertainty encompass you in fight. As Aristotle stated, ‘We’re what we repeatedly do. Subsequently, excellence is just not an act however a behavior.’”
There was a very good probability that Bailey would discover his method into service ultimately as a result of it runs in his blood of his forefathers. He shared that he had males in his household service in our nation’s conflicts going again to the Civil Battle.
“It’s undoubtedly one thing that’s valued and appreciated in my Tribe.” His title Koaalii actually interprets within the Hawaiian language to Royal Soldier. Not directly form or kind Koa was going to serve, defend, struggle, and rescue others.
Upon school commencement, he was in search of a brand new problem and he discovered it in Particular Operations of the army. There was a pararescue group in his house state of Alaska the legendary Rescue Group 212 Rescue Squadron, which is what led him down the trail he has been on since. In Alaska he and his teammates had been at all times prepared to go away in a second’s discover to rescue each army pilots and Alaskan out of doors fanatic that discovered the ragged fringe of the place life and demise can rely instantly on Pararescuemen being prepared and match to reply.
“I wish to assume I might keep in form, even when I wasn’t within the army, however the reason for Freedom and Love for nation provides an depth to my exercises that may not be there to the identical diploma if I didn’t know that I had teammates relying on me being prepared.”
This ardour for excellence has been useful as a result of he’s been in difficult, horrible fight conditions throughout his a number of fight deployments the place he has performed a vital function in saving American and Accomplice Nation lives in hurt’s method who had been all experiencing their most painful, horrifying, scary day of their lives. In Bailey’s eyes, health is about greater than lifting weights and operating. “When you are able to do one thing by means of your bodily preparation or psychological capability that resulted in saving a human life it’s an incredible feeling”. In each sense of the phrase, army service members are fighters and combating (hand at hand) is probably the most visceral a part of warfare. Bailey devotes a number of
focus and dedication to combatives, he believes the dealing with the worry of being knocked out or choked out elicits a cathartic expertise that’s vital in molding a Warrior Ethos. Combat, flight, or freeze is usually a aware Response and Selection as people; if we take time to develop the talents required to behave not simply be acted upon. To perform his combative based mostly coaching session goals along with his group he incorporates drawback fixing whereas underneath stress eventualities, anaerobic exhaustion, and a get rid of that instantly faucets right into a airmen’s want to by no means hand over Resiliency.
“The aim is time environment friendly, value efficient, sustainable coaching, that helps each teammate turn out to be a stronger warrior and higher choice maker.”
Bailey leads by each instance and instruction. That’s why he’s been striving to create for each airman in his squadron, Particular Operator or Assist Airmen to have a deep reference to the rescue mission and on a weekly foundation. His technique to do all of the above is what he calls “Dilemma Centered Warfighting,” or DFW for brief. Bailey described it as dynamic drawback fixing whereas dealing with stress.
“Expertise is just not the reply to the whole lot sooner or later struggle—sure critically necessary however should you’re going to name your self a warfighter you need to most likely know find out how to struggle and defend your self and your loved ones.”
Bailey works with Pararescuemen, who’re warfighters in each sense of the phrase. Their talent set is world-class. He additionally works with many different individuals in supporting roles whereas they’re on missions. The possibilities of them partaking with a enemy is actual. The aim is to have a spectrum of choices to guard and defend freedom and love. Fight and hand at hand abilities are simply an possibility we don’t need to neglect.
“A human based mostly weapon system is what It might come right down to.”
For these causes and extra, Bailey’s DFW system is one thing he’s creating and constructing on so the individuals he leads can defend themselves and one another by fixing issues underneath these tense situations. He cited the artwork of JIU Jitsu combating as a key part in serving to teammates perceive find out how to successfully and effectively acquire micro advantageous over an enemy till you’ll be able to basically take their will to withstand or struggle again leading to them tapping (quitting), napping (getting choked out, or snapping (breaking a bone). Any transfer or technique that may exploit a weak point of that opponent to make your scenario higher and theirs worse—It turns into a human based mostly chess match that in a really possible way ends in checkmate. Being match and ready to struggle can even assist enhance self-confidence as a result of the warfighter is aware of they did all they might to be prepared.
“That idea of health in relation to fight and utilizing it frequently is what I’m so obsessed with, not simply in my army profession, however basically.”
Bailey hopes that the work he’s completed and continues to do will affect youthful Individuals to think about the Air Power of their futures. Except for with the ability to serve their nation. Bailey feels they will profit themselves in some ways.
“On the finish of the day, it comes right down to freedom and love. When you’ve got the need to protect freedom and have a love in your fellow Individuals, having these idea means serving within the Air Power is an absolute possibility for you, whether or not you need to serve a full profession or do a tour. It’s one thing you can look again on and worth the expertise. Contributing to one thing higher than your self that hopefully helps you turn out to be a extra succesful and resilient human is a win/win scenario. I hope anybody who chooses to serve will expertise that.”
