Special forces units in South Korea's Air Force must be ready for anything.
And to keep their skills sharp, they've been conducting field training aimed at rescuing pilots from enemy territory.
Kim Ji-yeon reports.
Special forces land in enemy territory from this HH-60 Night Hawk... and move to a location sent by an Air Force pilot in distress.
Troops training in the Combat Search and Rescue... follow hand signals to adjust their formation depending on the terrain.
The search continues throughout the night... with the troops often having to find a place to hide.
After the unit locate the pilot, they check the pilot's condition and strap him onto a stretcher.
Four troops carry the stretcher to the extraction spot... while the remaining forces provide cover in case of potential attacks.
At the extraction spot, the team and the injured pilot are picked up by a helicopter and taken to safety.
"We train hard so that we can rescue our pilots in any conditions. We've conducted a high level of training to rescue our key combatants. We move under the slogan 'even if we may have to risk our lives, we'll always first try to rescue the pilots.'"
During peacetime, the unit is on stand-by, ready to rescue those involved in air crashes, sinking ships, or wildfires.
Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News.