Lt. Col. Koa Bailey challenges Air Power Members to Be Match to Serve and to Battle

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 avoid wasting lives when known as upon.

“Being in command means I’ve a chance to serve extra folks. 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 high form to carry out his job to the most effective of his capacity, which requires him to be “Able to Battle Tonight”. Thankfully 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 will not be non-obligatory,” 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. Subsequently, excellence will not be an act however a behavior.’”

There was a superb probability that Bailey would discover his approach 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 Struggle.

“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. Ultimately form or kind Koa was going to serve, shield, 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 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 out of doors fanatic that discovered the ragged fringe of the place life and dying can rely instantly 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 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 crucial position in saving American and Companion Nation lives in hurt’s approach who have 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 by means of 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 variety of

focus and dedication to combatives, he believes the dealing with the concern of being knocked out or choked out elicits a cathartic expertise that’s crucial in molding a Warrior Ethos. Battle, flight, or freeze could be 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 primarily based coaching session goals along with his group he incorporates drawback fixing whereas underneath stress situations, anaerobic exhaustion, and a remove that instantly faucets right into a airmen’s want to by no means quit Resiliency.

“The aim is time environment friendly, value efficient, sustainable coaching, that helps each teammate grow to be a stronger warrior and higher determination 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 Targeted Warfighting,” or DFW for brief. Bailey described it as dynamic drawback fixing whereas dealing with stress.

“Expertise will not be the reply to the whole lot sooner or later struggle—sure critically vital however in the event you’re going to name your self a warfighter it is best to in all probability know struggle and shield 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 folks in supporting roles whereas they’re on missions. The probabilities of them participating with a enemy is actual. The aim 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 need to neglect.

“A human primarily based weapon system is what It might come all the way down to.”

For these causes and extra, Bailey’s DFW system is one thing he’s creating and constructing on so the folks he leads can shield themselves and one another by fixing issues underneath these worrying situations. He cited the artwork of JIU Jitsu combating as a key part in serving to teammates perceive 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 spot of that opponent to make your state of affairs higher and theirs worse—It turns into a human primarily based chess match that in a really possible way ends in checkmate. Being match and ready to struggle 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 obsessed with, not simply in my army profession, however generally.”

Bailey hopes that the work he’s performed and continues to do will affect youthful Individuals to think about the Air Power of their futures. Apart from having the ability to serve their nation. Bailey feels they’ll profit themselves in some ways.

“On the finish of the day, it comes all the way down to freedom and love. You probably have the need to protect freedom and have a love on your fellow Individuals, having these idea means serving within the Air Power is an absolute choice for you, whether or not you need to serve a full profession or do a tour. It’s one thing that you could look again on and worth the expertise. Contributing to one thing better than your self that hopefully helps you grow 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.”