Amid the danger during peak summer hiking season above tree line, Coloradans know all too well how important rescue operations are to our state’s way of life. At the tip of that spear is the Colorado National Guard’s high-altitude rescue team, which each year completes around 30 helicopter-assisted rescues. In 2024, the team logged more than 87 flight hours and saved 27 lives.

It’s continuing to maintain and improve this team’s skills that is one of a few reasons why the Colorado National Guard’s partnership with the Swiss Armed Forces is a blessing to our state. The first anniversary of the partnership, as reported by The Gazette, was commemorated last week in a proclamation-signing ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion in Denver.

Though Colorado already has longstanding partnerships via the National Guard State Partnership Program — since 1993 with Slovenia and 2004 with Jordan — it could be said the partnership with Switzerland will be even more beneficial. Of course, that’s due to the Centennial State’s similarities with Switzerland — two rugged, mountainous places whose economies, demographics and cultures come out of the geography of sitting at their respective continents’ natural divides.

“Our National Guard members play such an important role in protecting our state at home and supporting our partners abroad,” Gov. Jared Polis said at the ceremony. He’s right. Whether it be with the high-rescue team or other roles, the Swiss Armed Forces is similar to the Colorado National Guard in its composition. Civilians balance their everyday professions with service in a body powered by the militia principle. In Colorado, three-quarters of the guard is comprised of civilian part-timers.

The ability for our guard’s everyday Coloradans to exchange knowledge with the Swiss Confederation’s contemporaries will help in rescues such as the Colorado Army National Guard Black Hawk aircrew’s July 2025 nighttime rescue of a pair of hikers near the summit of Torrey’s Peak. The 14,200-foot record-breaking rescue saved the lives of the hikers stranded in a storm, one struck by lightning.

“A lot of these points on the fourteeners are very hard to access via the ground,” said Lt. Col. Scott Tucker, state army aviation officer for Colorado. “…Some of these rescues could take up to 36 hours to accomplish on the ground.”

The Swiss are familiar with the kind of quick calculations that the Gypsum-based crew made that fateful July night a year ago. From burning fuel to reduce the weight of the helicopter, to gauging temperature and wind, it helped to make a precise landing and hoist for a successful rescue and shelter from the storm for the two out-of-state hikers.

“Power calculations were starting to turn in our favor; however, we were still too heavy,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Hubbard.”

 “Constant power calculations continued for the next hour while we circled the summit,” he said. “Once the critical patient was onboard, we would then return to the peak to execute a two-wheel landing to load the ambulatory patient.”

The partnership will improve and expand other guard capabilities and inter-operability, including disaster relief, cybersecurity, space, the protection of critical infrastructure, medical services and logistics. And the guard emphasizes the nature of this kind of partnership develops capabilities without creating obligations or dependencies — in other words, compatible with neutrality.

A win-win for Colorado and Coloradans.