Kadena Air Base is a United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is often referred to as the "Keystone of the Pacific". Kadena Air Base is home to the USAF's 18th Wing, the 353d Special Operations Group, reconnaissance units, 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery, and a variety of associated units. Over 20,000 American servicemembers, family members, and Japanese employees live or work aboard Kadena Air Base. It is the largest and most active US Air Force base in the Far East.
The 67th Special Operation Squadron, nicknamed the Night Owls, is an active United States Air Force unit operating the Lockheed MC-130J Commando II. It is based at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, in the United Kingdom and assigned to the 752d Special Operations Group. The 67th SOS is tasked with flying single or multi-ship low-level air refueling missions for special operations helicopters, and infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply of special operations forces by airdrop or airland.
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 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.
The 33d Rescue Squadron is part of the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base, Japan. It operates Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk aircraft conducting search and rescue missions.
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.
The 38th Rescue Squadron is part of the 347th Rescue Group at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. It operates various fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft conducting search and rescue missions. The squadron flew combat search and rescue missions during the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
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.
The 56th Rescue Squadron is part of the 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy. The squadron was previously assigned to the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, England. It operates HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters conducting search and rescue missions.
The 71st Rescue Squadron is part of the 347th Rescue Group at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. It flies HC-130J Combat King II aircraft conducting search and rescue missions.
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.
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 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.
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.
The 34th Weapons Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the USAF Weapons School, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.
The 76th Helicopter Squadron is an inactivated United States Air Force unit that was based at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California assigned to the 30th Operations Group, 30th Space Wing that was tasked to support range operations as well as search and rescue missions. The squadron operated the UH-1N Huey helicopter.
The 37th Helicopter Squadron is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 582d Helicopter Group in support of the 90th Missile Wing located at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming. The unit is tasked with flight operations in support of the operation and security of F.E. Warren's intercontinental ballistic missile complex as well as search and rescue missions. The unit operates the UH-1N Huey helicopter.
The 57th Rescue Squadron is part of the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy. The squadron recently moved to Italy from the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, England. 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. 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 54th Helicopter Squadron is a unit of the United States Air Force based at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota. It is currently part of the 582d Helicopter Group.
