Oak Harbor graduate Joshua Barton has earned the coveted maroon beret as a pararescueman.

After graduating from high school in 2010, Barton began his military training in 2011.

Barton completed more than three years of non-stop Air Force training, including basic training followed by the development course for the selection phase of the his career field.

This was followed by a pararescue — or combat rescue — officer course. Of the more than 160 prospective candidates, only 19 successfully completed the course and continued on to the next phase of training. In the end, only 14 total applicants made it through the entire training cycle.

Additional training included combat dive school, emergency medical training, paramedic training, army airborne school, and survival, evasion, resistance and escape training.

He began his apprenticeship in September 2013, culminating what is known as the jack of all trades. Courses consisted of “dirt” medicine for practice of field paramedicine; high angle mountain rescue trainees learn how to rescue a stranded mountain climber, hiker or pilot; air operations, where both static line and freefall jumps were performed for proficiency in night and day/land and water; tactical weapons training; land navigation training; military tactics; and his final training exercise.

Trainees are placed in highly stressful environments and are judged not only on their medical skills in treating critical patients, but their skills while operating as a team leader and team member.

Barton said he learned that “a true great team is not great from good leadership, but excellent followership.”

Barton added that he is married to his career field “till death do I part.”

He will be joining his team, the 48th Rescue Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, in Tucson, Arizona.