The 41st Rescue Squadron is part of the

347th Rescue Group The United States Air Force's 347th Rescue Group (347 RQG) is an active combat search and rescue unit assigned to the 23rd Wing at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. : ''For additional lineage and history, see 347th Rescue Wing'' Mission The 347 ...

Moody Air Force Base Moody Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation near Valdosta, Georgia. Geography The base is in northeastern Lowndes County, Georgia, with the eastern border of the base following the Lanier County line. Georgia State Rout ...

, Georgia. It operates

HH-60 Pave Hawk The Sikorsky MH-60G/HH-60G Pave Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility military helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. It is a derivative of the UH-60 Black Hawk and incorporates the US Air Force PAVE electronic system ...

aircraft conducting

search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

missions.

Mission

The 41st Rescue Squadron maintains combat-ready status as an HH-60G combat search and rescue (CSAR) squadron. This squadron specializes in combat rescue of downed aircrew behind enemy lines, using

night vision goggles A night-vision device (NVD), also known as a night optical/observation device (NOD), night-vision goggle (NVG), is an optoelectronic device that allows visualization of images in low levels of light, improving the user's night vision. The dev ...

(NVG), low-level formation,

air refueling Aerial refueling, also referred to as air refueling, in-flight refueling (IFR), air-to-air refueling (AAR), and tanking, is the process of transferring aviation fuel from one aircraft (the tanker) to another (the receiver) while both aircraft a ...

, weapons employment, medevac, casevac, CAS (close air support) and survivor recovery. Air Force rescue is one of the few USAF assets that directly support combat units of all military branches, including allied combat units, through means other than munition drops, or intel. Members assigned to this squadron rapidly mobilize, deploy and employ to provide combat and peacetime search and rescue in support of U.S. national security interests. The 41st also supported launch operations for the

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program na ...

when that program was active. During forward combat operations the 41st, like other USAF helicopter Rescue assets, assume an Alert posture. With an average response time of 4 minutes from call to airborne, the "Pedros" (deployed callsign) are considered by many to be the fastest rescue asset in the United States military inventory.

History

USAF HH-60G is refueled while in training

The 41st has flown search and rescue missions from, 1952–1960, 1962–1987, and since 1989. It also recovered high-altitude atmospheric-sampling devices from, 1962–1987. Beginning in Mar 1989, the squadron has provided prelaunch security and safety

surveillance Surveillance is the monitoring of behavior, many activities, or information for the purpose of information gathering, influencing, managing or directing. This can include observation from a distance by means of electronic equipment, such as c ...

launches and recovery or medical evacuation for

crewmembers.

Lineage

* Constituted as the 41st Air Rescue Squadron on 17 October 1952 : Activated on 14 November 1952 : Discontinued and inactivated on 18 March 1960 * Activated on 29 December 1961 (not organized) : Organized on 8 January 1962 : Redesignated 41st Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron on 8 January 1966 : Inactivated on 30 September 1987 * Activated on 1 March 1989 : Redesignated 41st Air Rescue Squadron on 1 June 1989 : Redesignated 41st Rescue Squadron on 1 February 1993

Assignments

* 4th Air Rescue Group, 14 November 1952 *

Air Rescue Service The United States Air Force Combat Rescue School (for most of its existence, either Air Rescue Service or Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service), was an organization of the United States Air Force. The school was established in 1946 as ''Air ...

, 8 December 1956 – 18 March 1960Dollman says Air Rescue and Recovery Service, but this designation was never used. *

Military Air Transport Service The Military Air Transport Service (MATS) is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy's Naval Air Transport Service (NATS) and the United States Air Force's ...

, 29 December 1961 (not organized) * Air Rescue Service (later Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service), 8 January 1962 * 39th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing, 1 January 1970 * 41st Rescue and Weather Reconnaissance Wing, 1 September 1975 – 30 September 1987 * 41st Rescue and Weather Reconnaissance Wing, 1 March 1989 (attached to Eastern Space and Missile Center for operational control) * Air Rescue Service, 1 August 1989 (attached to Eastern Space and Missile Center (later 45th Space Wing) for operational control) *

1st Operations Group The 1st Operations Group (1 OG) is the flying component of the 1st Fighter Wing, assigned to the USAF Air Combat Command. The group is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. The 1st Operations Group is the oldest major air combat unit in ...

, 1 February 1993 *

1st Rescue Group The 1st Expeditionary Rescue Group is a provisional unit of the United States Air Force assigned to Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate as necessary. It was activated in Southwest Asia in September 2015 to provide combat search and resc ...

, 14 June 1995 * 347th Operations Group (later 347th Rescue Group), 1 April 1997 – present

Stations

Hamilton Air Force Base Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

, California, 14 November 1952 – 18 March 1960 * Hamilton Air Force Base, California, 8 January 1962 *

McClellan Air Force Base McClellan Air Force Base (1935–2001) is a former United States Air Force base located in the North Highlands area of Sacramento County, northeast of Sacramento, California. History For the vast majority of its operational lifetime, McClella ...

, California, 1 August 1973 – 30 September 1987 *

Patrick Air Force Base Patrick may refer to: *Patrick (given name), list of people and fictional characters with this name *Patrick (surname), list of people with this name People *Saint Patrick (c. 385–c. 461), Christian saint *Gilla Pátraic (died 1084), Patrick or ...

, Florida, 1 March 1989 *

, Georgia, 1 April 1997 – present

Aircraft

Boeing SB-17 Dumbo The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...

(1952 – c. 1953) *

Fairchild C-82 Packet The C-82 Packet is a twin-engine, twin-boom cargo aircraft designed and built by Fairchild Aircraft. It was used briefly by the United States Army Air Forces and the successor United States Air Force following World War II. Design and develop ...

(1952–1953) *

Sikorsky H-5 Dragonfly The Sikorsky H-5 (initially designated R-5 and also known as S-48, S-51 and by company designation VS-327Fitzsimons, Bernard, (general editor). ''Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare'' (London: Phoebus, 1978), Volume 20, ...

(1952 – c. 1953) *

Grumman SA-16 Albatross The Grumman HU-16 Albatross is a large, twin–radial engined amphibious seaplane that was used by the United States Air Force (USAF), the U.S. Navy (USN), and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), primarily as a search and rescue (SAR) aircraft. Origina ...

(later HU-16) (1953 – c. 1960, 1962–1968) *

Sikorsky SH-19 The Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw (company model number S-55) was a multi-purpose helicopter used by the United States Army and United States Air Force. It was also license-built by Westland Aircraft as the Westland Whirlwind (helicopter), Westland ...

(later HH-19) (c. 1953 – c. 1960, 1962–1963) *

Kaman HH-43 Huskie The Kaman HH-43 Huskie is a helicopter with intermeshing rotors used by the United States Air Force, the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps from the 1950s until the 1970s. It was primarily used for aircraft firefighting and re ...

(1963) *

Lockheed HC-130 Hercules 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 for ...

(1966–1987) *

Sikorsky HH-53 Super Jolly Green Giant The Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low series is a retired long-range special operations Special operations (S.O.) are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces usin ...

(1971–1973, 1976–1987) *

Sikorsky HH-3 Jolly Green Giant The Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King (company designation S-61) is an American twin-engined anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter designed and built by Sikorsky Aircraft. A landmark design, it was one of the first ASW rotorcraft to use turboshaft engin ...

(1973–1976, 1989–1994) *

Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk The Sikorsky MH-60G/HH-60G Pave Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility military helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. It is a derivative of the UH-60 Black Hawk and incorporates the US Air Force PAVE electronic systems ...

(1994–present) * Sikorsky HH-60 Jolly Green II (2022-present)https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3221038/airmen-innovate-ensure-hh-60ws-first-deployment/

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes ; Citations

Bibliography

{{USAF Air Force Special Operations Command Military units and formations in Georgia (U.S. state) 041