Lt. Col. Koaalii C. Bailey is a United States Air Power Fight Rescue Officer at the moment 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 possibility to serve extra individuals. My job is to guide, set up, practice, 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 one of the best of his capability, which requires him to be “Able to Struggle Tonight”. Fortuitously for him, that’s one thing he has cultivated right into a behavior and life-style.
“In the event you’re going to name your self a warrior– health isn’t optionally available,” mentioned the previous faculty 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 isn’t an act however a behavior.’”
There was an excellent probability that Bailey would discover his means 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 positively one thing that’s valued and appreciated in my Tribe.” His title Koaalii actually interprets within the Hawaiian language to Royal Soldier. In a roundabout way form or type Koa was going to serve, defend, struggle, and rescue others.
Upon faculty commencement, he was on the lookout for a brand new problem and he discovered it in Particular Operations of the army. There was a pararescue workforce in his dwelling state of Alaska the legendary Rescue Workforce 212 Rescue Squadron, which is what led him down the trail he has been on since. In Alaska he and his teammates have 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 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 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 essential position in saving American and Associate Nation lives in hurt’s means who have been all experiencing their most painful, horrifying, 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 a tremendous feeling”. In each sense of the phrase, army service members are fighters and combating (hand handy) is probably the most visceral a part of battle. Bailey devotes a whole lot 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 essential 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 targets along with his workforce he incorporates drawback fixing whereas underneath stress eventualities, anaerobic exhaustion, and a remove that straight faucets right into a airmen’s need to by no means quit Resiliency.
“The objective is time environment friendly, price efficient, sustainable coaching, that helps each teammate change into 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.
“Know-how isn’t the reply to all the things sooner or later struggle—sure critically essential however if you happen to’re going to name your self a warfighter it is best to most likely know the right way to struggle and defend 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 individuals in supporting roles whereas they’re on missions. The possibilities of them participating with a enemy is actual. The objective is to have a spectrum of choices to guard and defend freedom and love. Fight and hand handy expertise are simply an choice we don’t wish to neglect.
“A human based mostly weapon system is what It may come right down to.”
For these causes and extra, Bailey’s DFW system is one thing he’s growing and constructing on so the individuals he leads can defend themselves and one another by fixing issues underneath these hectic situations. He cited the artwork of JIU Jitsu combating as a key part in serving to teammates perceive the right way to successfully and effectively achieve micro advantageous over an enemy till you may 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 spot 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 enthusiastic about, not simply in my army profession, however normally.”
Bailey hopes that the work he’s accomplished 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. You probably 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 choice for you, whether or not you wish to serve a full profession or do a tour. It’s one thing you could look again on and worth the expertise. Contributing to one thing larger than your self that hopefully helps you change into a extra succesful and resilient human is a win/win scenario. I hope anybody who chooses to serve will expertise that.”
