The 582nd Helicopter Group was activated in January 2015 at
F. E. Warren Air Force Base
Francis E. Warren Air Force Base , shortened as F.E. Warren AFB is a United States Air Force base (AFB) located approximately west of Cheyenne, Wyoming. It is one of three strategic-missile bases in the U.S. It was named in honor of Francis E. ...
, Wyoming to provide a unified headquarters for the helicopter squadrons located on the
intercontinental ballistic missile
An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range greater than , primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more thermonuclear warheads). Conventional, chemical, and biological weapons c ...
bases of
Air Force Global Strike Command
Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. AFGSC provides combat-ready forces to conduct strategic nuclear deterrence and global stri ...
.
The group was first activated in 1943 as the 2nd Emergency Rescue Squadron at
Hamilton Field, and after training, moved to the South Pacific Theater, where it served until the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, earning two
Distinguished Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enem ...
s and a
Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation
The Philippine Presidential Unit citation BadgeThe AFP Adjutant General, ''Awards and Decorations Handbook'', 1997, OTAG, p. 65. is a unit decoration of the Republic of the Philippines. It has been awarded to certain units of the United States mil ...
for
combat search and rescue
Combat search and rescue (CSAR) are search and rescue operations that are carried out during war that are within or near combat zones.
A CSAR mission may be carried out by a task force of helicopters, ground-attack aircraft, aerial refuelin ...
and
special operations
Special operations (S.O.) are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment". Special operations may include ...
missions. Following the end of the war, the squadron served as part of the
occupation
Occupation commonly refers to:
*Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment
*Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces
*Military occupation, th ...
forces at
Kadena Air Base
(IATA: DNA, ICAO: RODN) is a highly strategic 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" because of its highl ...
,
Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
from 1947 until 1950.
In May 1950 the
squadron
Squadron may refer to:
* Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies
* Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...
, now designated the 2nd Rescue Squadron moved to
Clark Air Base
Clark Air Base is a Philippine Air Force base on Luzon Island in the Philippines, located west of Angeles City, about northwest of Metro Manila. Clark Air Base was previously a United States military facility, operated by the U.S. Air Forc ...
in the Philippines. In 1952, the unit was expanded to
group
A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together.
Groups of people
* Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity
* Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...
level as the 2nd Air Rescue Group and its lettered flights became air rescue squadrons. The group provided rescue support for units of
Thirteenth Air Force
The Thirteenth Air Force (Air Forces Pacific) (13 AF) was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It was last headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. 13 AF has never been stat ...
and the southwest Pacific until 1955, when it moved to
Wheeler Air Force Base
Wheeler may refer to:
Places United States
* Wheeler, Alabama, an unincorporated community
* Wheeler, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Wheeler, California, an unincorporated community
* Wheeler, Illinois, a village
* Wheeler, Indiana, a ...
, where it became the headquarters for all rescue units in the Pacific. The group was inactivated at Wheeler in June 1958.
In 2015, the group was redesignated to its current name and activated at F. E. Warren, where it replaced a provisional unit that had been organized in 2014 to test the unification of helicopter units supporting missile wings under a single unit.
History
World War II
![Consolidated OA-10A Catalina 44-33879 RFrontNose light Airpower NMUSAF 25Sep09 (14413396947)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Consolidated_OA-10A_Catalina_44-33879_RFrontNose_light_Airpower_NMUSAF_25Sep09_%2814413396947%29.jpg)
The 582nd Helicopter Group was first activated in mid December 1943 as the 2nd Emergency Rescue Squadron at
Hamilton Field, California, but remained a
cadre
Cadre may refer to:
*Cadre (military), a group of officers or NCOs around whom a unit is formed, or a training staff
*Cadre (politics), a politically controlled appointment to an institution in order to circumvent the state and bring control to th ...
only until the end of the month, when the squadron was brought up to full strength. In February, the unit moved by train to
Gulfport Army Air Field
Gulfport Combat Readiness Training Center is a United States Air Force training center, located at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, Mississippi. It is located north-northeast of Gulfport, Mississippi.
Overview
The Air National Guard C ...
, Mississippi, where it received its first aircraft,
Consolidated OA-10 Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft that was produced in the 1930s and 1940s. In Canadian service it was known as the Canso. It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Catalinas served wit ...
s, and began operational training. By April 1944 training was complete and the squadron departed Mississippi for the port of embarkation.
![Boeing SB-17G](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Boeing_SB-17G.jpg)
In late May 1944, the squadron arrived in New Guinea.
However, movement of the flight echelon was delayed and it was 17 July before it departed the United States. The first squadron aircraft arrived in New Guinea on 22 July and the first mission was flown on the 27th, rescuing five
crewmembers of a downed
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...
in
Geelvink Bay, New Guinea.
[History 2nd Emergency Rescue Squadron, July 1944] Upon the reunion of the flight and ground echelons, the squadron's
flights
Flight is the process by which an object moves without direct support from a surface.
Flight may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Flight'' (1929 film), an American adventure film
* ''Flight'' (2009 film), a South Korean d ...
began to disperse to coastal stations in New Guinea.
[History 2nd Emergency Rescue Squadron, August 1944] Because there were few OA-10s in the Southwest Pacific Theater
The South West Pacific theatre, during World War II, was a major theatre of the war between the Allies and the Axis. It included the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies (except for Sumatra), Borneo, Australia and its mandate Territory of ...
, supply shortages in the Army system were frequent, and the squadron was forced to fly aircraft to Australia, where Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
depots were located, for repairs unless it could obtain parts from the Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
, whose PBY-5A Catalinas were near duplicates of the OA-10A.[ Later. combat attrition caused some squadron OA-10As to be replaced by PBY-5As.
In late October 1944, ]Thirteenth Air Force
The Thirteenth Air Force (Air Forces Pacific) (13 AF) was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It was last headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. 13 AF has never been stat ...
formed the provisional 5320th Rescue Composite Group, combining the squadron with the 15th Emergency Rescue Boat Squadron.[History 2nd Emergency Rescue Squadron, November 1944] The following month, contact was established with guerrilla forces in the Philippines and arrangements were made for cooperating with them to return fliers shot down over the Philippines.
The squadron was awarded its first Distinguished Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enem ...
in April 1945 for conducting extensive search and evacuation missions in adverse weather in their vulnerable and lightly armed aircraft. Squadron aircrews landed in dangerously heavy seas, often under direct enemy shore fire, to pick up flyers in distress. The squadron also established a station at Labo, Camarines Norte
Labo, officially the Municipality of Labo ( tl, Bayan ng Labo), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Camarines Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 109,245 people.
Labo is from Daet and from Manila ...
, Mindanao behind enemy lines, from which it furnished gasoline, arms and ammunition, food and medical supplies to Philippine guerrilla forces. The squadron's ground echelon kept the unit's aircraft in operational condition, despite frequent damage from enemy action and water landing
In aviation, a water landing is, in the broadest sense, an aircraft landing on a body of water. Seaplanes, such as floatplanes and flying boats, land on water as a normal operation. Ditching is a controlled emergency landing on the water ...
s and take-offs. During this period the squadron performed seven open sea
The pelagic zone consists of the water column of the open ocean, and can be further divided into regions by depth (as illustrated on the right). The word ''pelagic'' is derived . The pelagic zone can be thought of as an imaginary cylinder or wa ...
rescues, saving 23 lives, while also evacuating 53 men from enemy territory.
In June 1945, the 2nd received its second operational type when two Boeing SB-17 Dumbos were added to its strength. Although these planes could not make water landings to rescue crews, they were equipped with Higgins boat
The landing craft, vehicle, personnel (LCVP) or Higgins boat was a landing craft used extensively by the Allied forces in amphibious landings in World War II. Typically constructed from plywood, this shallow-draft, barge-like boat could ferry a ...
s, which they could drop near downed crews.
Post-war service in the Pacific
Following the end of the war, the squadron served as part of the occupation
Occupation commonly refers to:
*Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment
*Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces
*Military occupation, th ...
forces at Kadena Air Base
(IATA: DNA, ICAO: RODN) is a highly strategic 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" because of its highl ...
, Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
until 1950. In May 1950 the squadron
Squadron may refer to:
* Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies
* Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...
, now designated the 2nd Rescue Squadron, moved to Clark Air Base
Clark Air Base is a Philippine Air Force base on Luzon Island in the Philippines, located west of Angeles City, about northwest of Metro Manila. Clark Air Base was previously a United States military facility, operated by the U.S. Air Forc ...
in the Philippines. Although the squadron was assigned to 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 ...
from May 1949, operational control of its two flights at Clark was still vested in Thirteenth Air Force, while Fifth Air Force
The Fifth Air Force (5 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is the U.S. Air Force's oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. The organiza ...
controlled its flights at Kadena.[This was the flight attachment at the time they were replaced by squadrons. Earlier, A Flight was attached to ]1st Air Division
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
, B Flight to 7th Air Force
The Seventh Air Force (Air Forces Korea) (7 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, South Korea.
The command's mission is to plan and direct air component operations in ...
, and C Flight to Thirteenth Air Force.
Abstract, History 2 Rescue Squadron May-Jun 1959, Air Force History Index. Retrieved 10 May 2015
/ref>
Although combat search and rescue
Combat search and rescue (CSAR) are search and rescue operations that are carried out during war that are within or near combat zones.
A CSAR mission may be carried out by a task force of helicopters, ground-attack aircraft, aerial refuelin ...
during the Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
was the responsibility of the 3rd Air Rescue Squadron
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 direc ...
, the 2nd Air Rescue Squadron was tasked with providing escort coverage with its SB-29s for bombers based in Okinawa striking targets in North Korea. When the bombers entered enemy territory, the squadron aircraft would orbit just off the enemy coast. The unit also dispatched SB-17 Dumbos to orbit offshore while Boeing RB-29 Superfortress
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is a WWII era long range, strategic heavy bomber that was produced in many experimental and production models.
XB-29
: ''Section source: Baugher''
The XB-29, Boeing Model 345, was the first accepted prototype or e ...
aircraft flying reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities.
Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...
missions over China were over hostile territory. The squadron frequently provided similar precautionary coverage for fighter aircraft making overwater flights.
In 1952, the unit was expanded to group
A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together.
Groups of people
* Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity
* Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...
level as the 2nd Air Rescue Group and its lettered flights became air rescue squadrons. A and B Flights at Clark were replaced by the 31st and 32nd Air Rescue Squadrons, while C and D Flights at Kadena transferred their mission, personnel and equipment to the 33rd and 34th Air Rescue Squadrons. The group provided rescue support for units of Thirteenth Air Force and the southwest Pacific until 1955, when it moved to Wheeler Air Force Base
Wheeler may refer to:
Places United States
* Wheeler, Alabama, an unincorporated community
* Wheeler, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Wheeler, California, an unincorporated community
* Wheeler, Illinois, a village
* Wheeler, Indiana, a ...
. With the move, the 33rd Squadron, now at Naha Air Base
, formally known as the , is an air base of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force formerly under control of the United States Air Force. It is located at Naha Airport on the Oroku Peninsula in Naha, Okinawa, Japan.
History Imperial Period
Naha Airf ...
, was transferred to the 3rd Air Rescue Group (which now controlled all rescue units in Fifth Air Force's area) and the 2nd Group gained the 76th Air Rescue Squadron in Hawaii. The move made the 2nd the highest command level for Air Force rescue units in the Pacific.
In June 1957, when the 3rd Air Rescue Group in Japan was inactivated, the 38th and 39th Air Rescue Squadrons at Misawa and Ashiya Air Base
is a military airdrome of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force . It is located north of Ashiya in the Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.
History
Ashiya Airfield was established as a Japanese Army Air Force facility in 1944, and was used primarily as a de ...
s were reassigned to the group, giving it direct responsibility for all rescue squadrons in Pacific Air Forces
Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PACAF is headquartered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (fo ...
' area of responsibility. The 38th Squadron was inactivated three months after it was assigned to the group and the 39th Squadron assumed responsibility for the 38th's area. Two months later, the 39th was inactivated as well and it was determined that the 2nd, along with other rescue groups, would be inactivated before the end of Fiscal Year 1958. For its remaining months as an active unit, the group focused on the changes required to make its squadrons self-sufficient. The group was inactivated at Wheeler in June 1958 and its component squadrons were assigned directly to Air Rescue Service.
Strategic missile support
On 1 August 2014, the 20th Air Force Helicopter Operations Group (Provisional) stood up at F. E. Warren Air Force Base
Francis E. Warren Air Force Base , shortened as F.E. Warren AFB is a United States Air Force base (AFB) located approximately west of Cheyenne, Wyoming. It is one of three strategic-missile bases in the U.S. It was named in honor of Francis E. ...
, Wyoming to support the three USAF intercontinental ballistic missile
An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range greater than , primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more thermonuclear warheads). Conventional, chemical, and biological weapons c ...
wings. Prior to the activation of the provisional group, helicopter units supporting Minuteman missile
The LGM-30 Minuteman is an American land-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in service with the Air Force Global Strike Command. , the LGM-30G Minuteman III version is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States and r ...
wings were assigned to the missile wing's operations group; the 37th Helicopter Squadron at F. E. Warren to the 90th Operations Group
The 90th Operations Group is the operational component of the 90th Missile Wing of the United States Air Force. It is stationed at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, and is assigned to Twentieth Air Force of Air Force Global Strike Comma ...
, the 40th Helicopter Squadron
The 40th Helicopter Squadron is a missile support unit. As the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron it was a helicopter rescue squadron of the USAF during the Vietnam War.
History
The squadron was activated as the 40th Aerospace Rescu ...
at Malmstrom Air Force Base
Malmstrom Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place (CDP) in Cascade County, Montana, United States, adjacent to the city of Great Falls. It was named in honor of World War II POW Colonel Einar Axel Malmstrom. ...
, Montana to the 341st Operations Group
The United States Air Force's 341st Missile Wing is an intercontinental ballistic missile unit headquartered at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana. Up until 1 July 2008, it was designated as the 341st Space Wing.
Established as a World War II T ...
, and the 54th Helicopter Squadron at Minot Air Force Base
Minot Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation in Ward County, North Dakota, north of the city of Minot via U.S. Route 83. In the 2020 census, the base was counted as a CDP with a total population of 5,017, down from 5,521 in 2 ...
, North Dakota to the 91st Operations Group
The 91st Operations Group is the operational component of the 91st Missile Wing, assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command Twentieth Air Force. It is stationed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota.
The group is one of three USAF operatio ...
. The formation of the group followed a recommendation from the Air Force Global Strike Command
Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. AFGSC provides combat-ready forces to conduct strategic nuclear deterrence and global stri ...
Force Improvement Program. It created an aviation-focused headquarters to support the missile mission for the first time. One hoped-for side effect was to improve morale in the helicopter crews that have been performing the nuclear support mission with the Bell UH-1 Huey
The Bell UH-1 Iroquois (nicknamed "Huey") is a utility military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace company Bell Helicopter. It is the first member of the prolific Huey family, as well as the first turbine-powered helico ...
since 1969. UH-1s would be used for by missile support units for the foreseeable future due to the cancellation of the Common Vertical Lift Support Platform in 2013.[
In 2015, the 2nd Group was redesignated to its current name and activated at F. E. Warren, and the 37th, 40th, and 54th Helicopter Squadrons were relieved of attachment to the provisional group and became the new group's first units.][
]
Lineage
* Constituted as the 2nd Emergency Rescue Squadron and activated on 15 December 1943
: Redesignated 2nd Rescue Squadron on 15 March 1948
: Redesignated 2nd Air Rescue Squadron on 10 August 1950
: Redesignated 2nd Air Rescue Group on 14 November 1952
: Inactivated on 24 June 1958[Bailey, Carl E. (undated), Lineage and Honors History of the 2 Air Rescue Group, Air Force Historical Research Agency]
* Redesignated 582nd Helicopter Group on 11 December 2014
: Activated on 6 January 2015[Air Force Global Strike Command Special Order GS-01, 6 January 2015]
Assignments
* Fourth Air Force
The Fourth Air Force (4 AF) is a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California.
4 AF directs the activities and supervises the training of more than 30,000 Air Force Reser ...
: 15 December 1943
* AAF Eastern Technical Training Command
AAF may refer to:
Aviation
* Aigle Azur (ICAO code), a French airline
* Apalachicola Regional Airport (IATA code), in Apalachicola, Florida
Corporations
* American Air Filter, today a part of HVAC-equipment-maker Daikin
Military
* Albanian A ...
: 4 March 1944[Bailey's Lineage & Honors statement says AAF Eastern Flying Training Command, but the rescue school at Gulfport and Keesler was assigned to the Technical Training Command.]
* Army Air Forces, Southwest Pacific Area: 10 June 1944
* V Bomber Command
The V Bomber Command is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit. It was last assigned to Fifth Air Force, based at Irumagawa AB, Japan. It was inactivated on 31 May 1946.
During World War II the unit initially controlled Fifth Air Forc ...
, 5 September 1944
* Thirteenth Air Force: 7 October 1944 (attached to 5230th Rescue Composite Group after 31 October 1944)
* 13th Emergency Rescue Group: 16 March 1945
* Thirteenth Air Force: c. 1 October 1945
* 301st Fighter Wing
The 301st Fighter Wing (301 FW) is an Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the Tenth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Carswell Field, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Tex ...
: 30 March 1947 (attached to 316th Bombardment Wing after 10 August 1947)
* Thirteenth Air Force: February 1948 (attached to 316th Bombardment Wing)
* 316th Bombardment Wing: 1 March 1948[Bailey's Lineage & Honors statement indicates the assignment to the 316th Wing continued until 1949. However, that wing was inactivated in 1948, so the assignment terminated. Maurer, p. 424.]
* 32nd Composite Wing: 18 August 1948
* 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 ...
: 1 May 1949 - 24 June 1958[ (attached to Thirteenth Air Force November 1952 - November 1955, ]Pacific Air Forces
Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PACAF is headquartered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (fo ...
thereafter)[
*]Twentieth Air Force
The Twentieth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) (20th AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.
20 AF's primary mission is Interco ...
, 6 January 2015[
]
Components
[Components stationed with group headquarters, except as noted.]
1952-1958
* 31st Air Rescue Squadron, 14 November 1952 – 24 June 1958
* 32nd Air Rescue Squadron, 14 November 1952 – 8 September 1954
* 33rd Air Rescue Squadron, 14 November 1952 – 20 September 1955
: Kadena Air Base, Okinawa until April 1955, then Naha Air Base, Okinawa
* 34th Air Rescue Squadron, 14 November 1952 – 8 September 1954
: Kadena Air Base, Okinawa
* 38th Air Rescue Squadron, 18 June - 18 September 1957
: Misawa Air Base, Japan
* 39th Air Rescue Squadron, 18 June - 24 November 1957
:: Ashiya Air Base, Japan
* 76th Air Rescue Squadron, 20 September 1955 – 24 June 1958
: Hickam Air Force Base
Hickam Air Force Base is a United States Air Force installation, named in honor of aviation pioneer Lieutenant Colonel Horace Meek Hickam. The installation merged in 2010 with Naval Station Pearl Harbor to become part of the newly formed Joint ...
, Hawaii
* 79th Air Rescue Squadron 16 February 1954 - 24 June 1958[
: ]Andersen Air Force Base
Andersen Air Force Base (Andersen AFB, AAFB) is a United States Air Force base located primarily within the village of Yigo in the United States territory of Guam. The host unit at Andersen AFB is the 36th Wing (36 WG), assigned to the Pacific ...
, Guam
2015 and later
* 37th Helicopter Squadron, 15 January 2015 – present
* 40th Helicopter Squadron
The 40th Helicopter Squadron is a missile support unit. As the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron it was a helicopter rescue squadron of the USAF during the Vietnam War.
History
The squadron was activated as the 40th Aerospace Rescu ...
, 15 January 2015 – present
: Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana
* 54th Helicopter Squadron, 15 January 2015 – present
: Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota
* 582nd Operations Support Squadron, 6 January 2015 – present[
]
Stations
* Hamilton Field, California 15 December 1943
* Gulfport Army Air Field, Mississippi, 12 February 1944
* Keesler Field
Keesler Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Biloxi, a city along the Gulf Coast in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. The base is named in honor of aviator 2d Lt Samuel Reeves Keesler Jr., a Mississippi nati ...
, Mississippi, 1 April 1944
* Camp Stoneman
Camp Stoneman was a United States Army facility located in Pittsburg, California. It served as a major troop staging area for and under the command of the San Francisco Port of Embarkation (SFPOE). The camp operated during World War II and the Kor ...
, California, 20 – 30 April 1944
* Oro Bay
Oro Bay is a bay in Oro Province, Papua New Guinea, located southeast of Buna, Papua New Guinea, Buna. The bay is located within the larger Dyke Ackland Bay. A port is operated by PNG Ports Corporation Limited with limited wharf facilities, loca ...
, New Guinea, 29 May 1944[
* Mokmer Airport, ]Biak
Biak is an island located in Cenderawasih Bay near the northern coast of Papua (province), Papua, an Indonesian province, and is just northwest of New Guinea. Biak is the largest island in its small archipelago, and has many atolls, reefs, and c ...
, New Guinea, 5 September 1944
* Sorido Airport, Biak, New Guinea, October 1944
* Morotai
Morotai Island ( id, Pulau Morotai) is an island in the Halmahera group of eastern Indonesia's Maluku Islands (Moluccas). It is one of Indonesia's northernmost islands.
Morotai is a rugged, forested island lying to the north of Halmahera. It ha ...
, 10 October 1944
* Clark Field, Luzon
Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
, Philippines, 16 September 1945
* Kadena Field (later Kadena Air Force Base), Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
, 31 March 1947
* Clark Air Base, Luzon, Philippines, 4 May 1950
* Wheeler Air Force Base, Hawaii, 7 November 1955 - 24 June 1958[
* F. E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, 15 January 2015 – present][
]
Aircraft
* Consolidated OA-10A Catalina, 1944-unknown
* Douglas C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in ...
, 1945-unknown
* Boeing SB-17G Dumbo, 1945-Korean war era[
* Boeing SB-29 Superdumbo, Korean war era
* ]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 ...
, by 1951-1957
* 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 ...
, 1956-1957
* Bell UH-1N Twin Huey, 2015–present, to be replaced by Grey Wolf
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly ...
Awards and campaigns
See also
* List of United States Air Force Groups
This is a list of Groups in the United States Air Force that do not belong to a host wing.
The last level of independent operation is the group level. When an organization is not part of the primary mission of the base it will be made an independ ...
* 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 ...
* List of Consolidated PBY Catalina operators
*
* List of C-47 Skytrain operators
List of C-47 Skytrain operators includes the country, military service, known squadrons, and related data. The Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. The C-47 has served with over 90 c ...
* List of Bell UH-1 Iroquois operators
This page is a list of countries which have used or are current users of the Bell UH-1 Iroquois or are military users of the Bell 204 and 205, along with their military units.
Operators
Afghanistan
* Afghan Air Force
Albania
*Albanian Air ...
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
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Further reading
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External links
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* (citation for Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries.
*Distinguished Service Cross (Australia)
The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a military decoration awarded to ...
earned by squadron member)
* (attachment of two Navy PBYs to 2nd Emergency Rescue Squadron)
{{USAAF 13th Air Force World War II
Groups of the United States Air Force
Military units and formations in Wyoming