131st Rescue Squadron | |
---|---|
Active | 2003–present |
Country | United States |
Allegiance | California |
Branch | Air National Guard |
Type | Squadron |
Role | |
Part of | California Air National Guard |
Garrison/HQ | Moffett Federal Airfield, Mountain View, California |
Motto(s) | Servatoris taciturni (The savior's silence) |
Engagements | Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom |
Insignia | |
131st Rescue Squadron |
The 131st Rescue Squadron (131 RQS) is a unit of the California Air National Guard 129th Rescue Wing located at Moffett Federal Airfield, Mountain View, California.
The unit was established on 1 October 2003 by the Air Force Special Operations Command as part of a re-organization of Air National Guard rescue units which created separate squadrons for fixed-wing, helicopter, and pararescue elements of the 129th Rescue Squadron. All three squadrons are assigned to the 129th Operations Group. The HH-60 helicopter flight became 129th Rescue Squadron; the HC-130P Hercules flight become the 130th Rescue Squadron, and the pararescue flight became the 131st Rescue Squadron.
The squadron consists of PJs, CROs and support personnel utilizing the helicopter and transport assets of the 129th Rescue Wing. All three rescue squadrons are assigned to the 129th Operations Group.
When in a theater of combat, squadron members operate at the direction of the overall theater combatant commander and the theater's commander of air forces. In these situations, the 131st is primarily assigned to conduct personnel recovery operations—rescuing downed airmen or other isolated personnel from enemy territory, for example. In addition to combat search-and-rescue missions like these, the 130th may also conduct collateral missions: noncombatant evacuation operations, inter- and intra-theater airlift, and support of special operations forces, for example.
Back at home, the 131st Rescue Squadron furnishes trained personnel to respond to state emergencies, such as natural disasters, and to assist civil authorities in the enforcement of the law. Other 131st missions include non-combat search and rescue (SAR), emergency aeromedical evacuations, humanitarian relief, international aid, counter-drug activities, and support for NASA flight operations.
The 131st RQS has been assigned to support Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq) and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) in support of the Global War on Terrorism.
The Lockheed HC-130 is an extended-range, search and rescue (SAR)/combat search and rescue (CSAR) version of the C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft, with two different versions operated by two separate services in the U.S. armed forces.
Pararescuemen are United States Air Force airmen who conduct personnel recovery and combat search and rescue operations as well as other missions for the U.S. military and its allies. Highly trained special operators, PJs are generally assigned to Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and Air Combat Command (ACC).
The 129th Rescue Wing is a unit of the California Air National Guard, stationed at Moffett Federal Airfield in Sunnyvale, California. The wing is equipped with the HC-130J Combat King II and the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter. If activated to federal service, the wing is assigned to the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command (ACC).
The United States Air Force Combat Rescue School, was an organization of the United States Air Force.
The 106th Rescue Wing is a unit of the New York Air National Guard, stationed at Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base, Westhampton Beach, New York. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Combat Command.
The 58th Special Operations Wing is a combat unit of the United States Air Force stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. The 58 SOW is part of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) Nineteenth Air Force.
The 176th Wing is a unit of the Alaska Air National Guard, stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), Anchorage, Alaska. If activated to federal service, components of the Wing are gained by several United States Air Force Major Commands.
The 920th Rescue Wing is part of the Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the United States Air Force. The wing is assigned to the Tenth Air Force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC).
The 210th Rescue Squadron is a unit of the Alaska Air National Guard 176th Wing located at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Anchorage, Alaska. The 210th is equipped with the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter.
The 211th Rescue Squadron is a unit of the Alaska Air National Guard 176th Wing located at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Anchorage, Alaska. The 211th is equipped with the HC-130J Hercules.
The 212th Rescue Squadron is a unit of the Alaska Air National Guard 176th Wing stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Anchorage, Alaska. The squadron has no assigned aircraft; personnel assigned use aircraft of the 210th and 211th Rescue Squadrons of the Wing.
The 101st Rescue Squadron is a unit of the New York Air National Guard 106th Rescue Wing stationed at Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base, Westhampton Beach, New York. The squadron is equipped with the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter, configured for combat search and rescue operations.
The 103d Rescue Squadron is a unit of the New York Air National Guard 106th Rescue Wing stationed at Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base, Westhampton Beach, New York. The squadron has no assigned aircraft; the squadron is composed of Air Force pararescue specialists (PJs) that use aircraft of the 101st and 102d Rescue Squadrons of the Wing.
The 129th Rescue Squadron is a unit of the California Air National Guard 129th Rescue Wing located at Moffett Federal Airfield, Mountain View, California. The 129th is equipped with the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter. If activated to federal service, the 129 RQS is gained within the United States Air Force by the Air Combat Command (ACC).
The 130th Rescue Squadron is a unit of the California Air National Guard 129th Rescue Wing located at Moffett Federal Airfield, Mountain View, California. The 130th is equipped with the HC-130J Combat King II. If activated to federal service, the 130 RQS is gained within the United States Air Force by the Air Combat Command (ACC).
The 66th Rescue Squadron was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, where it operates HH-60 Pave Hawk aircraft conducting search and rescue and combat search and rescue missions. It is geographically separated unit of the 563rd Rescue Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, which is part of the 23d Wing at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia.
The 79th Rescue Squadron is a United States Air Force combat search and rescue unit of the 563rd Rescue Group, 355th Wing, at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.
The 563rd Rescue Group is a United States Air Force unit stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The group also controls the rescue squadrons at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. It is assigned to the 355th Wing. The group directs flying operations dedicated to personnel recovery and is part of Air Combat Command. The group was activated under its current designation at Davis-Monthan in 2003 to command rescue units in the western United States.
The 58th Operations Group is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 58th Special Operations Wing. It is stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.
The 57th Rescue Squadron is part of the 31st Operations Group, 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy. As part of the 31st Operations Group it conducts pararescue operations in support of higher command directives, at times utilizing HH-60G Pave Hawk and Lockheed HC-130 Hercules aircraft flown by other rescue squadrons such as the 56th Rescue Squadron, also based at Aviano. The 57th Rescue Squadron is a combat-ready squadron of pararescue personnel capable of performing combat rescue and personnel retrieval missions in theaters of operations worldwide. The squadron does not operate any aircraft.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency.