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 avoid wasting lives when referred to as upon.
“Being in command means I’ve a chance to serve extra folks. My job is to steer, set up, prepare, and equip, Pararescue Warriors to be their greatest 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 potential, which requires him to be “Able to Struggle Tonight”. Thankfully for him, that’s one thing he has cultivated right into a behavior and way of life.
“If you happen to’re going to name your self a warrior– health is just not non-compulsory,” mentioned 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 mentioned, ‘We’re what we repeatedly do. Due to this fact, excellence is just not an act however a behavior.’”
There was a great likelihood that Bailey would discover his approach into service finally 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 Struggle.
“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 type Koa was going to serve, shield, battle, and rescue others.
Upon school commencement, he was searching for a brand new problem and he discovered it in Particular Operations of the army. There was a pararescue staff in his residence state of Alaska the legendary Rescue Crew 212 Rescue Squadron, which is what led him down the trail he has been on since. In Alaska he and his teammates had been all the time prepared to go away in a second’s discover to rescue each army pilots and Alaskan outside fanatic that discovered the ragged fringe of the place life and demise can rely straight on Pararescuemen being prepared and match to reply.
“I prefer 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 which 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 helpful 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 position in saving American and Companion Nation lives in hurt’s approach who had been all experiencing their most painful, scary, scary day of their lives. In Bailey’s eyes, health is about greater than lifting weights and working. “When you are able to do one thing via 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 preventing (hand handy) is probably the most visceral a part of warfare. Bailey devotes a whole lot of
focus and dedication to combatives, he believes the going through the worry of being knocked out or choked out elicits a cathartic expertise that’s vital in molding a Warrior Ethos. Struggle, flight, or freeze is usually a aware Response and Alternative as people; if we take time to develop the abilities required to behave not simply be acted upon. To perform his combative based mostly coaching session goals together with his staff he incorporates drawback fixing whereas below stress situations, anaerobic exhaustion, and a get rid of that straight faucets right into a airmen’s want to by no means hand over Resiliency.
“The purpose is time environment friendly, price efficient, sustainable coaching, that helps each teammate turn out to be a stronger warrior and higher resolution 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 going through stress.
“Expertise is just not the reply to every little thing sooner or later battle—sure critically essential however when you’re going to name your self a warfighter you need to in all probability know how you can battle and shield your self and your loved ones.”
Bailey works with Pararescuemen, who’re warfighters in each sense of the phrase. Their ability set is world-class. He additionally works with many different folks in supporting roles whereas they’re on missions. The probabilities of them participating with a enemy is actual. The purpose is to have a spectrum of choices to guard and defend freedom and love. Fight and hand handy abilities are simply an possibility we don’t wish 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 growing and constructing on so the folks he leads can shield themselves and one another by fixing issues below these traumatic circumstances. He cited the artwork of JIU Jitsu preventing as a key element in serving to teammates perceive how you can successfully and effectively acquire micro advantageous over an enemy till you possibly can primarily take their will to withstand or battle again leading to them tapping (quitting), napping (getting choked out, or snapping (breaking a bone). Any transfer or technique that may exploit a weak spot of that opponent to make your state of affairs 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 battle may also 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 captivated with, not simply in my army profession, however basically.”
Bailey hopes that the work he’s executed and continues to do will affect youthful Individuals to think about the Air Power of their futures. Apart from with the ability to serve their nation. Bailey feels they’ll profit themselves in some ways.
“On the finish of the day, it comes right down to freedom and love. In case you have 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 wish to serve a full profession or do a tour. It’s one thing which 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 state of affairs. I hope anybody who chooses to serve will expertise that.”
