The 71st 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 flies

HC-130J Combat King II 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 fo ...

aircraft conducting search and rescue missions.

Mission

The 71st Rescue Squadron maintains combat-ready status as the last active duty Lockheed HC-130J Combat King II, combat search and rescue squadron. The squadron deploys expeditionary forces to execute personnel recovery operations worldwide to support theater commanders to advance national security interests. This mission requires the squadron to conduct low-level operations and

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 ...

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 ...

and

airdrop An airdrop is a type of airlift in which items including weapons, equipment, humanitarian aid or leaflets are delivered by military or civilian aircraft without their landing. Developed during World War II to resupply otherwise inaccessible tr ...

pararescue Pararescuemen (also known as PJs) are United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and Air Combat Command (ACC) operators tasked with recovery and medical treatment of personnel in humanitarian and combat environments. These speci ...

personnel of other units for in support of combat personnel recovery.

History

Alaskan operations

The 71st was first activated in November 1952 when

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 ...

expanded its existing air rescue squadrons to groups and expanded their flights to separate squadrons. It flew search, rescue and recovery missions out of

Elmendorf Air Force Base Elmendorf Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) facility in Anchorage, Alaska. Originally known as Elmendorf Field, it became Elmendorf Air Force Base after World War II. It is the home of the Headquarters, Alaskan Air Command (AL ...

from 1952 to 1960 and 1970–1991. It has flown aerial refueling missions for search and rescue operations since 1991.

Reactivation in the Southeast

The squadron has supported the combat search and rescue mission in

Southwest Asia Western Asia, West Asia, or Southwest Asia, is the westernmost subregion of the larger geographical region of Asia, as defined by some academics, UN bodies and other institutions. It is almost entirely a part of the Middle East, and includes Ana ...

with aircraft and crews since 1992. In August 2014, the 71st completed its last deployment with the HC-130P Combat King aircraft, which it has flown since 2003. This was the last deployment by an active duty squadron with the Combat King model. The squadron is now beginning to transition to the HC-130J Combat King II by September 2015.

Lineage

* Constituted as the 71st Air Rescue Squadron on 17 October 1952 : Activated on 14 November 1952 : Discontinued and inactivated on 18 March 1960 * Redesignated 71st Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron on 25 November 1969 : Activated on 8 March 1970 * Redesignated 71st Air Rescue Squadron on 1 June 1989 : Inactivated on 1 June 1991 : Activated on 1 October 1991 * Redesignated 71st Rescue Squadron on 1 February 1993

Assignments

* 10th Air Rescue Group: 14 November 1952 (attached to

Alaskan Air Command Alaskan Air Command (AAC) is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command originally established in 1942 under the United States Army Air Forces. Its mission was to organize and administer the air defense system of Alaska, exercise dire ...

for operations after 1 August 1954) *

: 21 October 1957 – 18 March 1960 (continued attachment to Alaskan Air Command until 23 May 1958) * 39th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing: 8 March 1970 (attached to Detachment 1, 39th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing until 30 June 1971, Elmendorf Rescue Coordination Center until 24 June 1972, Alaskan Air Command Rescue Coordination Center) * 41st Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing (later 41st Rescue and Weather Reconnaissance Wing): 1 July 1974 (continued attachment to Alaskan Air Command Rescue Coordination Center) * Air Rescue Service: 1 August 1989 – 1 June 1991 (continued attachment to Alaskan Air Command Rescue Coordination Center) * Air Rescue Service: 1 October 1991 *

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 t ...

: 1 February 1993 * 1st Rescue Group: 14 June 1995 *

: 1 April 1997 – Present

Stations

* Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, 14 November 1952 – 18 March 1960 * Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, 8 March 1970 – 1 June 1991 * Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, 1 October 1991 *

, Georgia, 1 April 1997 – Present

Aircraft

* Grumman SA-16 Albatross (1952–1960) *

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, ...

(1954–1955) *

Douglas C-54 Skymaster The Douglas C-54 Skymaster is a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces in World War II and the Korean War. Like the Douglas C-47 Skytrain derived from the DC-3, the C-54 Skymaster was derived from a civilian a ...

(1954–1955) * Sikirsky SH-19 Chickasaw (1954–1956) *Douglas SC-54 Skymaster (1955–1958) * Piasecki SH-21 Workhorse (1956–1960) *

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 fo ...

(1970–1987, 1991 – present) :: Lockheed HC-130P Combat King, 2003-c. 2014 * Sikirsky HH-3 Jolly Green Giant (1975–1991) *Sikorsky CH-3 (1976–1979, 1981–1990)

Mission

History

Alaskan operations

Reactivation in the Southeast

Lineage

Assignments

Stations

Aircraft

Awards and Campaigns

See also

References

Notes

Bibliography