48th Rescue Squadron

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48th Rescue Squadron
48th Rescue Squadron - HH-60 Pave Hawk - 2010.jpg
Members of the 48th Rescue Squadron training in preparation for the upcoming hurricane season
Active1952–1969; 1972–1976; 1985–1987; 1993–present
CountryFlag of the United States.svg  United States
BranchFlag of the United States Air Force.svg  United States Air Force
Role Search and Rescue
Part of Air Combat Command
Garrison/HQ Davis–Monthan Air Force Base
Motto(s)Valor and Honor, Night Riders (1994– ) [1]
Decorations Air Force Outstanding Unit Award [1]
Insignia
48th Rescue Squadron emblem [2] 48 Rescue Sq emblem.png
48th Air Rescue Squadron emblem (approved 19 May 1994) [1] 48th Rescue Squadron.jpg
48th Air Rescue Squadron emblem (approved 1 December 1953) [3] 48 Air Rescue Sq emblem.png
48 RQS personnel practice landing in a 'hot' Landing Zone Rescue Squadron Exercise.jpg
48 RQS personnel practice landing in a 'hot' Landing Zone

The 48th Rescue Squadron is part of the 563d Rescue Group at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. PJs/CROs fly on HH-60 Pave Hawk and HC-130 aircraft to conduct combat rescue and search and rescue missions.

Contents

Mission

The 48th Rescue Squadron trains, equips, and employs combat-ready pararescuemen, combat rescue officers, and supporting personnel worldwide in support of U.S. national security interests. It provides survivor contact, treatment, and extraction during combat rescue operations, uses various fixed and rotary wing insertion and extraction assets. It employs by any means available to provide combat and humanitarian search, rescue, and medical assistance in all environments.

History

Activation and training mission

48 RQS Pararescueman loads a simulated patient during an exercise 48th Rescue Squadron Exercise.jpg
48 RQS Pararescueman loads a simulated patient during an exercise

The squadron was first activated as the 48th Air Rescue Squadron in November 1952, when Air Rescue Service expanded its existing rescue squadrons into groups. The 48th was established with the assets of Flight C of the 5th Air Rescue Squadron at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. In January 1955, the squadron moved to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. At Maxwell and Eglin, the 48th flew search, rescue and recovery missions, mostly over water. [1] At Eglin, the squadron added the mission of training rescue aircrews. The squadron was inactivated in February 1969 [1] and ite mission transferred to the Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Training Center. [4]

Survival School support

The squadron, now the 48th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron was reactivated at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington in September 1972. It supported the 3636th Combat Crew Training Wing, which conducted the Air Force's advanced survival school at Fairchild, while continuing to fly search and rescue (SAR) missions. The squadron was inactivated at Fairchild in August 1976. [1]

The squadron was again activated to support survival training in October 1985 at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida, where the USAF Water Survival School, run by a squadron of the 3636th Wing, was located. Again it flew SAR missions in addition to its training role. In addition, squadron personnel performed interdiction missions in support of the South Florida Drug Interdiction Task Force while at Homestead. In December 1987, the squadron was again inactivated. [1]

Rescue in the southwest

The 48th was reactivated at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico in 1993 and for the next six years flew combat search and rescue missions. [1] Its most recent activation at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona in 2004 [1] was as a "guardian angel" squadron, providing pararescuemen, flying on the aircraft and helicopters of the other squadrons of the 563d Rescue Group.

Lineage

Activated on 14 November 1952
Redesignated 48th Air Recovery Squadron on 1 February 1965
Redesignated 48th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron on 8 January 1966
Redesignated 48th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, Training on 8 July 1967
Inactivated on 7 February 1969
Activated on 15 September 1972
Inactivated on 1 August 1976
Inactivated on 31 December 1987
Activated on 1 May 1993
Inactivated on 1 February 1999

Assignments

Stations

Aircraft

See also

Related Research Articles

Davis–Monthan Air Force Base US Air Force base in Tucson, Arizona, United States

Davis–Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base 5 miles southeast of downtown Tucson, Arizona. It was established in 1925 as Davis–Monthan Landing Field. The host unit for Davis–Monthan AFB is the 355th Wing assigned to Twelfth Air Force (12AF), part of Air Combat Command (ACC). The base is best known as the location of the Air Force Materiel Command's 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, the aircraft boneyard for all excess military and U.S. government aircraft and aerospace vehicles.

United States Air Force Combat Rescue School Military unit

The United States Air Force Combat Rescue School, was an organization of the United States Air Force.

23rd Wing Military unit

The 23rd Wing is a front-line United States Air Force Air Combat Command wing currently assigned to Moody Air Force Base, Georgia.

46th Test Wing Military unit

The 46th Test Wing is an inactive wing of the United States Air Force last based at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The wing's 46th Test Group was a tenant unit at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico.

939th Air Refueling Wing Military unit

The 939th Air Refueling Wing is an inactive United States Air Force Reserve unit. It was last active with the Fourth Air Force, based at the Portland Air Reserve Station, Oregon. It was inactivated on 30 June 2008.

920th Rescue Wing Military unit

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).

41st Rescue Squadron Military unit


The 41st Rescue Squadron is part of the 347th Rescue Group at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. It operates HH-60 Pave Hawk aircraft conducting search and rescue missions.

47th Fighter Squadron Military unit

The 47th Fighter Squadron is an Air Force Reserve Command unit based at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, where it flies Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft and is assigned to the 442d Operations Group.

354th Fighter Squadron US Air Force unit

The 354th Fighter Squadron is part of the 355th Fighter Wing at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft conducting close air support missions.

357th Fighter Squadron US Air Force unit

The 357th Fighter Squadron is part of the 355th Fighter Wing at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft training pilots for close air support missions.

36th Rescue Squadron Military unit

The 36th Rescue Squadron at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington is part of the 58th Operations Group. It was formerly part of the 336th Training Group at Fairchild. It operates Bell UH-1N Twin Huey aircraft conducting search and rescue missions in support of the US Air Force Survival School. The squadron was redesignated as the 36th Rescue Squadron on 14 August 2015.

39th Rescue Squadron Military unit

The 39th Rescue Squadron is an Air Force Reserve Command unit of the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida. Until December 2019, it operated the Lockheed HC-130P/N Combat King aircraft conducting search and rescue and combat search and rescue/personnel recovery missions. The squadron is currently transitioning to the Lockheed Martin HC-130J Combat King II aircraft, which will provide significant increases in the squadron's capabilities. An Air Force Reserve Command unit, the 39th Rescue Squadron is operationally-gained by the Air Combat Command (ACC) upon mobilization.

58th Rescue Squadron Military unit

The 58th Rescue Squadron is one of five active-duty squadrons under the command of the 563d Rescue Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona but located at Operating Site Alpha, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

66th Rescue Squadron Military unit

The 66th Rescue Squadron is 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.

55th Rescue Squadron US Air Force unit

The 55th Rescue Squadron is an aviation unit of the United States Air Force. It operates the Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter and provides rapidly deployable combat search and rescue forces to theater commanders worldwide. They tactically employ the HH-60G helicopter and its crew in hostile environments to recover downed aircrew and isolated personnel during day, night, or marginal weather conditions. The squadron also conducts military operations other than war including civil search and rescue, disaster relief, international aid, emergency medical evacuation, and counter-drug activities.

79th Rescue Squadron US Air Force unit

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.

305th Rescue Squadron Military unit

The 305th Rescue Squadron is part of the 943rd Rescue Group at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, a subordinate of the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida. It operates HH-60 Pave Hawk aircraft conducting peacetime and combat search and rescue missions.

563rd Rescue Group US Air Force unit

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 AFB in 2003 to command rescue units in the western United States.

46th Fighter Training Squadron Military unit

The 46th Fighter Training Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 917th Operations Group at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. where it was inactivated on 1 October 1993.

943rd Rescue Group Military unit

The 943rd Rescue Group is a reserve component of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to Tenth Air Force under the Air Force Reserve Command and is based in Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. When mobilized, Air Combat Command directs group assets into theater to support wartime tasking and other operations, like humanitarian relief. United States Northern Command may gain group assets directly to support disaster relief, search and rescue tasking in the aftermath of catastrophic events like hurricane, tornado, wildfire, flooding and earthquake, when they occur in the US, or its territories.

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Bailey, Carl E. (18 December 2007). "Factsheet 48 Rescue Squadron (AFSOC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  2. "48th Rescue Squadron emblem". United States Army Institute of Herladry. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  3. Endicott, p. 574
  4. See Mueller, p. 141 (simultaneous inactivation and inactivation. Mueller omits "Training" from the name of the squadron's successor at Eglin.)

Bibliography

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates  public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/ .