WEBVTT 00:01.032 --> 00:03.198 (rambling guitar music) 00:03.198 --> 00:05.865 (drums beating) 00:08.163 --> 00:10.829 - Charlie originated in the Pacific Islands 00:10.829 --> 00:13.486 just south of Fiji, years and years ago. 00:13.486 --> 00:15.176 No one knows exactly the circumstances 00:15.176 --> 00:16.823 of which he was found, 00:16.823 --> 00:18.558 but promptly after they found him, 00:18.558 --> 00:21.934 he returned with them to Eglin Air Force Base 00:21.934 --> 00:23.833 where he's made a name for himself. 00:23.833 --> 00:26.766 When Charlie was first taken back to Eglin, 00:26.766 --> 00:29.403 he gained a lot of respect in the PJ community, 00:29.403 --> 00:31.012 they started putting him through the all courses 00:31.012 --> 00:32.595 with Pararescuemen. 00:32.730 --> 00:34.020 He went through dive school, 00:34.020 --> 00:35.938 it's how he earned his scuba tanks. 00:35.938 --> 00:37.297 He went to jump school, 00:37.297 --> 00:39.158 so they adorned him with a parachute. 00:39.158 --> 00:40.542 Then, of course, after PJ school, 00:40.542 --> 00:42.209 he earned his beret. 00:42.318 --> 00:43.901 Since then he's bounced around 00:43.901 --> 00:45.343 through the rescue squadrons. 00:45.343 --> 00:48.725 Basically, by stealing him, is what it comes down to. 00:48.725 --> 00:51.687 When a unit steals Charlie, it's, you know, 00:51.687 --> 00:53.325 it's something that they really cherish. 00:53.325 --> 00:55.690 That unit for awhile gains a certain amount of respect 00:55.690 --> 00:57.452 for having Charlie there. 00:57.452 --> 00:59.532 Myself and a few other teammates were lucky enough 00:59.532 --> 01:02.237 to go to the Pararescue Rodeo this year. 01:02.237 --> 01:05.313 It is typical that Charlie is at these events. 01:05.313 --> 01:07.753 So just going to the event, we knew we had to have 01:07.753 --> 01:10.971 some sort of plan to come back with Charlie. 01:10.971 --> 01:14.127 When he did make an appearance, it happened very quickly. 01:14.127 --> 01:17.294 We saw Charlie, we saw an opportunity, 01:17.312 --> 01:19.585 we took him, we got him on a plane back to Eglin, 01:19.585 --> 01:21.769 and got him back here as soon as we could. 01:21.769 --> 01:24.594 - When he arrived here, it was a very big deal for me. 01:24.594 --> 01:25.662 Bringing him back, it was like the 01:25.662 --> 01:27.183 cat who ate the canary, you know, 01:27.183 --> 01:28.930 very big smile on our face. 01:28.930 --> 01:31.062 It's just that, it's the amount of time and 01:31.062 --> 01:31.915 the amount of people, 01:31.915 --> 01:33.679 the amount of people that we've lost along the way 01:33.679 --> 01:35.061 for the career field. 01:35.061 --> 01:37.052 This is something that's been around since 01:37.052 --> 01:39.525 before we lost most of the them. 01:39.525 --> 01:41.244 So you know all the way through Vietnam, 01:41.244 --> 01:42.874 all of Iraq, all of Afghanistan, all the 01:42.874 --> 01:44.458 other contingency operations we have. 01:44.458 --> 01:47.407 This is somebody who's been around for that whole time. 01:47.407 --> 01:49.208 So it's a constant reminder to a lot of us 01:49.208 --> 01:52.005 that we've sacrificed a lot, and that's one of the reasons 01:52.005 --> 01:55.515 why we have the tradition of trying to steal him. 01:55.515 --> 01:57.621 - There are rules to stealing Charlie. 01:57.621 --> 01:59.683 He can only be stolen by current, qualified 01:59.683 --> 02:01.766 Pararescuing or retirees. 02:01.818 --> 02:03.931 There are guidelines outlining the manner 02:03.931 --> 02:05.637 in which you steal him. 02:05.637 --> 02:08.839 It has to reflect the Pararescue career field. 02:08.839 --> 02:10.719 So the coolest thing about it is, when people 02:10.719 --> 02:13.505 go to steal Charlie, it's not just they walk in, 02:13.505 --> 02:15.050 grab him and sprint away. 02:15.050 --> 02:18.635 It usually involves some kind of high angle rope scenario, 02:18.635 --> 02:21.385 extrication devices, parachuting. 02:22.059 --> 02:24.059 You name it, it happens. 02:24.398 --> 02:26.533 The Pararescue community is very small, 02:26.533 --> 02:29.050 but it's something that I hold very near and dear. 02:29.050 --> 02:31.119 And, Charlie having been around this community 02:31.119 --> 02:33.606 for such a long time, to me represents every 02:33.606 --> 02:35.739 man that has worn the beret. 02:35.739 --> 02:39.454 - 56 years of him being in the community really does 02:39.454 --> 02:43.621 signify or personify the existence of the career field 02:44.024 --> 02:46.189 for as long as it has been around. 02:46.189 --> 02:47.964 The career field's been around since 1946. 02:47.964 --> 02:50.639 So he basically has spanned the whole generation 02:50.639 --> 02:52.671 of Pararescue from start to finish. 02:52.671 --> 02:55.156 He's a tangible way that we can touch and feel 02:55.156 --> 02:57.323 the history of Pararescue.