Master Sgt. Chris Seinkner, 308th Rescue Squadron,

Master Sgt. Chris Seinkner, 308th Rescue Squadron, Patrick AFB, Fla., teams up with Tech. Sgt. Cameron Hystad and Staff Sgt. Eli Reynolds, 88th Test and Evaluation Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev., to exercise egressing a “NASA astronaut” from the side hatch of an Orion Capsule during a recent exercise at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Lab in Houston, Texas. The Air Force Pararescue teams participated in an astronaut rescue and recovery coordinated the 45th Operations Group Detachment 3 and NASA. The two agencies work together to prepare for contingency landing site support, payload security, medical support, coordination of airlift/sealift for contingency operations, as well as other support services required in the event of a spacecraft emergency. Detachment 3 was chartered in 1959 by the Secretary of Defense as the DoD Mercury Support Office [later renamed DoD Manned Space Flight Support Office (DDMS)], its express purpose is providing DoD support to our nation's human space flight programs, putting people into space and returning them safely to Earth. (Courtesy photo by Bill Stafford/NASA)