List of United States Air Force rescue squadrons

This article is a list of United States air force rescue squadrons both active, inactive, and historical. A rescue squadron's main task is to provide both combat, and peacetime search and rescue operations. Which involve the search for and the provision of aid to those in danger or distress, in combat the role may overlap somewhat with casualty evacuation operations.

Air Rescue Squadrons

Squadron	Emblem	Location	Notes
1st Air Rescue Squadron
2d Air Rescue Squadron
3d Air Rescue Squadron
4th Air Rescue Squadron
7th Air Rescue Squadron
9th Air Rescue Squadron
10th Air Rescue Squadron
26th Air Rescue Squadron
27th Air Rescue Squadron
28th Air Rescue Squadron		Ramey AFB
29th Air Rescue Squadron
33d Air Rescue Squadron[1]		Naha Air Base, Okinawa
34th Air Rescue Squadron
46th Air Rescue Squadron		Otis AFB
49th Air Rescue Squadron
57th Air Rescue Squadron		Lajes Field
62d Air Rescue Squadron		Stead AFB Nevada
64th Air Rescue Squadron		Norton AFB	PAC(West),[Qued [Activation(waiting)][civil Fem lost at sea] [ long beach to Pismo beach]] [cmd line air ordered]	search&paralift @
65th Air Rescue Squadron		Nellis AFB
76th Air Rescue Squadron		Hickam AFB Hawaii	inactivated
81st Air Rescue Squadron
2157th Air Rescue Squadron		K-16, Korea
2190th Air Rescue Squadron
Eastern Air Rescue Center		Robins AFB
Central Air Rescue Center		Richards-Gebaur AFB
Western Air Rescue Center		Hamilton AFB

37 Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron || Kirkland AFB

[2]

Arctic Search and Rescue Squadrons

Squadron	Emblem	Location	Notes
1st Arctic Search and Rescue Squadron		Bluie West One	Constituted and activated on 25 Jun 1943 at Buckley Field.
2d Arctic Search and Rescue Squadron		Buckley Field	Constituted and activated on 18 Sep 1943.
3d Arctic Search and Rescue Squadron		Buckley Field	Constituted and activated on 18 Sep 1943.

Rescue Flights (RF)

Squadron	Shield	Location	Motto	Supported Unit

Expeditionary Rescue Squadrons (ERQS)

Squadron	Shield	Current Location	Equipment	Supported Unit	Wing	Notes
26th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron	Lightning Bolts	Muwaffaq Salti Air Base	HC-130J[3][4]	1st Expeditionary Rescue Group	332nd Air Expeditionary Wing	Previously at Camp Bastion until 1 January 2014.
46th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron		Muwaffaq Salti Air Base	HH-60G	1st Expeditionary Rescue Group	332nd Air Expeditionary Wing	Previously at Camp Bastion until 30 January 2013 (451 AEW).[5]
52d Expeditionary Rescue Squadron	Owl	Muwaffaq Salti Air Base	Pararescue Jumpers[6]	1st Expeditionary Rescue Group	332nd Air Expeditionary Wing	Previously at Diyarbakır Air Base
59th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron		N/A	HH-60			Previously at Kandahar Airfield until Feb 2013 (451 AEW).[7]
64th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron	Palm Trees	N/A	HH-60G	1st Expeditionary Rescue Group		Previously at Joint Base Balad then Diyarbakır Air Base
81st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron		Camp Lemonnier	HC-130	CJTF-HOA		[8]
82nd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron		Camp Lemonnier	Pararescue Jumpers	CJTF-HOA		[9]
83d Expeditionary Rescue Squadron		N/A	CH-47 (U.S. Army)		455th Air Expeditionary Wing	[10] Formerly used HH-60G's (USAF) until October 2017. Previously at Bagram Airfield

Rescue Squadrons (RQS)

Squadron	Shield	Location	Motto	Supported Unit	Notes
8th Emergency Rescue Squadron		Camp Carson			[11]
31st Rescue Squadron		Kadena AB	Vigilance and Honor
33d Rescue Squadron		Kadena AB
36th Rescue Squadron		Fairchild AFB	"That Others May Live"
38th Rescue Squadron		Moody AFB	"PJs"	activate PJ squadron at immediate|
39th Rescue Squadron		Patrick Space Force Base	"Kings"	Air Force Reserve repeat to nearest loc squad rescue for lost civil at marine loc Pismo
41st Rescue Squadron		Moody AFB	"Jolly Green"
48th Rescue Squadron		Davis-Monthan AFB	"Move the World"
55th Rescue Squadron		Davis-Monthan AFB	"We Come in the Dark"
56th Rescue Squadron		Aviano Air Base, Italy
57th Rescue Squadron		Aviano Air Base, Italy
58th Rescue Squadron		Nellis AFB
66th Rescue Squadron		Nellis AFB
71st Rescue Squadron		Moody AFB	"Kings"
79th Rescue Squadron		Davis-Monthan AFB
101st Rescue Squadron		Francis S. Gabreski ANGB	"Servare vitam" (To save lives)	NY ANG
102d Rescue Squadron		Francis S. Gabreski ANGB	"That Others May Live" "ANG’s Oldest Unit"	NY ANG
103d Rescue Squadron		Francis S. Gabreski ANGB	"We're all mad... you know!"	NY ANG
129th Rescue Squadron		Moffett Federal Airfield		CA ANG
130th Rescue Squadron		Moffett Federal Airfield		CA ANG
131st Rescue Squadron		Moffett Federal Airfield		CA ANG
210th Rescue Squadron		Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson	"Second to None"	AK ANG
211th Rescue Squadron		Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson		AK ANG
212th Rescue Squadron		Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson		AK ANG
301st Rescue Squadron		Patrick Space Force Base	"Guardian Wings"	Air Force Reserve
303d Rescue Squadron		Portland IAP		Air Force Reserve	inactivated 2003
304th Rescue Squadron		Portland IAP		Air Force Reserve
305th Rescue Squadron		Davis-Monthan AFB	"Anytime, Anywhere"	Air Force Reserve
306th Rescue Squadron		Davis-Monthan AFB	"That Others May Live"	Air Force Reserve
308th Rescue Squadron		Patrick Space Force Base	"Ut Ali Vivant"	Air Force Reserve
449th Rescue Squadron
512th Rescue Squadron		Kirtland AFB	"Jolly"	Training

Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadrons

Squadron	Shield	Location	Motto	Supported Unit
37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
42nd Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron

See also

• Air Rescue Service
• List of United States Air Force squadrons

References

Citations

1. Gregory 1988, p. 39.
2. Unit I was stationed at
3. "D-Ms Deployers Return Home". Desert Lightning News. 4 December 2016.
4. "Rescue Squadron Arrival". USAF. 4 December 2016.
5. "Rescue squadrons close chapter in southern Afghanistan". USAF Central Command. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
6. "A Day in the Life: Pararescue". DVIDS. 4 December 2016.
7. "Departure ends Air Force medevac missions at Kandahar". Stars and Stripes. 5 March 2017.
8. "81st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron conducts Night Mission to aerially re-fuel two HH-60 Pave Hawk Helicopters Simultaneously". CJTF-HOA. 5 March 2017.
9. "CJTF-HOA rescue squadrons conduct training exercise". CJTF-HOA. 5 March 2017.
10. "455th Expeditionary Operations Group". USAF. 5 March 2017.
11. Gregory 1988, p. 28.

Bibliography

• Gregory, B (1988). Vietnam Helicopter Handbook. UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-85260-024-1.