The rockets' red glare is more than a line in America's national anthem to the men and women of the 920th Rescue Group. It's what the reservists of the Air Force Reserve's 920th Rescue Group (RQG) see firsthand when they assist in space shuttle launches from Florida's Kennedy Space Center and unmanned launches from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

The rescue group, located on Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., prepares for a shuttle launch by positioning crews on six rubber zodiac boats 200 miles offshore and one boat waiting at Patrick AFB as a backup. In addition, four two-man HH-60 helicopters crews stand alert at the Shuttle Landing Facility at KSC, space shuttle runway landing, ready to respond to emergencies on land or at sea.

"Before each launch, we enhance safety by patrolling a predetermined Launch Hazard Area in the Atlantic Ocean to ensure it's clear of maritime traffic," said Lt. Col. Ken Warren, public affairs officer. "We make sure no one is in a potentially dangerous location during a launch. We patrol the ocean so that boats or ships are out of harm's way and won't get hit by rocket components falling back to earth."

"We are on alert on both [water and land]," explained Master Sgt. Alex Abbey, a pararescue man (PJ) who specializes in combat rescue. "We respond to both civilian/humanitarian and NASA contingencies. Luckily, we've never had to rescue anyone [during launches]. Launches have gone well. But we get called on for about one humanitarian rescue effort a month." read more . . . .