Combat Hoist

Colorado Guard member Sgt. Patrick Modesitt, a flight medic for the Colorado National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment, lowers to the ground while performing his combat hoist during training from their UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter Aug. 9 in Herat province, Afghanistan. The training prepares the crew for any conditions they might come across in retrieving any Special Operations Task Force (SOFT) West personnel needing medical attention in Herat province. The crew is on standby 24 hours a day for day and night operations. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Rasheen A. Douglas)