39th Rescue Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 39th Rescue Squadron (39 RQS) is part of the 920th Rescue Wing
at Patrick Air Force Base
, Florida
. It operates HC-130 Hercules aircraft conducting search and rescue
missions.
and Korea
during and following the Korean War
and in Southeast Asia
from, January 1967-April 1972. It also flew missions included refueling rescue helicopters and performing airborne command, control, and communications functions during combat rescue operations. The 39th again flew search and rescue in and around Japan from, 1992-1994. It has trained for combat search and rescue, performed search and rescue missions, and refueled rescue helicopters since 1997.
On 16 January 1967, the squadron was formed at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base
with six Lockheed HC-130Hs transferred from the 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
.
On 8 June 1967 the squadron relocated from Udorn RTAFB to Tuy Hoa Air Base
, South Vietnam and began to receive HC-130Ps to replace their HC-130Hs. The HC-130P was the first aircraft able to refuel helicopters and so provided a dramatic increase in range for helicopters, particularly those involved in CSAR missions. By mid-1969, the squadron was operating 11 HC-130Ps from Tuy Hoa
On 16 September 1970 the squadron relocated from Tuy Hoa AB to Cam Ranh Air Base
.
In March 1972 the squadron moved from Cam Ranh AB to Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base
. On 1 April 1972 the 39th ARRS was dissolved and the aircraft and crews temporarily became part of Detachment 4 of the 3rd Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group at Korat. On 8 July 1972 the Detachment was redesignated the 56th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
.
920th Rescue Wing
The 920th Rescue Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida with additional geographically separated units located at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona and Portland International Airport/Air Reserve Station, Oregon...
at Patrick Air Force Base
Patrick Air Force Base
Patrick Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located between Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach, in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It was named in honor of Major General Mason Patrick. An Air Force Space Command base, it is home to the 45th Space Wing...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. It operates HC-130 Hercules aircraft conducting search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue 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, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
missions.
History
The 39th conducted search, rescue, and escort missions in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
during and following the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
from, January 1967-April 1972. It also flew missions included refueling rescue helicopters and performing airborne command, control, and communications functions during combat rescue operations. The 39th again flew search and rescue in and around Japan from, 1992-1994. It has trained for combat search and rescue, performed search and rescue missions, and refueled rescue helicopters since 1997.
Operations
- Korean WarKorean WarThe Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
- Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
On 16 January 1967, the squadron was formed at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base
Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base
Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base is a Royal Thai Air Force base, the home of 2nd Air Division/23rd Wing Air Combat Command.The 231 Squadron "Hunter" is assigned to Udorn, equipped with the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet-A.-History:...
with six Lockheed HC-130Hs transferred from the 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron was a rescue squadron of the USAF active during the Vietnam War.-History:On 8 January 1966, the 37th ARRS was activated at Danang Air Base operating 5 HU-16s on loan from the 31st ARRS and the 33rd ARRS and with a Detachment at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force...
.
On 8 June 1967 the squadron relocated from Udorn RTAFB to Tuy Hoa Air Base
Tuy Hoa Air Base
Tuy Hoa Air Base is a former air force base in Vietnam, being closed in 1970. It was built by the United States between 1965-1966 and was used by the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War in the II Corps Tactical Zone of South Vietnam. It was seized by the Vietnam People's Army in April...
, South Vietnam and began to receive HC-130Ps to replace their HC-130Hs. The HC-130P was the first aircraft able to refuel helicopters and so provided a dramatic increase in range for helicopters, particularly those involved in CSAR missions. By mid-1969, the squadron was operating 11 HC-130Ps from Tuy Hoa
On 16 September 1970 the squadron relocated from Tuy Hoa AB to Cam Ranh Air Base
Cam Ranh Air Base
Cam Ranh Air Base is located on Cam Ranh Bay in the province of Khanh Hoa, Vietnam. It was one of several South Vietnamese Air Force air bases built and used by the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War...
.
In March 1972 the squadron moved from Cam Ranh AB to Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base
Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base
Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base is a base of the Royal Thai Air Force. It is located in northeast Thailand, located approximately 157 miles northeast of Bangkok and about 5 miles south of Nakhon Ratchasima , the second largest city in Thailand.During the Vietnam War, Korat RTAFB was the...
. On 1 April 1972 the 39th ARRS was dissolved and the aircraft and crews temporarily became part of Detachment 4 of the 3rd Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group at Korat. On 8 July 1972 the Detachment was redesignated the 56th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
56th Rescue Squadron
The 56th Rescue Squadron is part of the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, England. It operates HH-60 Pave Hawk aircraft conducting search and rescue missions.-History:...
.
Lineage
- 39th Air Rescue Squadron (1952–1967)
- 39th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron (1967–1990)
- 39th Air Rescue Squadron (1990–1993)
- 39th Rescue Squadron (1993–Present)
Assignments
- 3d Air Rescue Group (1952–1957)
- 2d Air Rescue Group (1957)
- 3d Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group (1967–1972)
- Air Rescue ServiceAir Rescue ServiceThe Air Rescue Service is a disestablished organization in the United States Air Force. Previously a subcommand of the Military Air Transport Service , a USAF major command , ARS was redesignated as the Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service on 1 Jan 1966 when MATS was redesignated as the Military...
(1992–1993) - 432d Fighter Wing (1993–1994)
- 920th Rescue Wing920th Rescue WingThe 920th Rescue Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida with additional geographically separated units located at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona and Portland International Airport/Air Reserve Station, Oregon...
(1997–Present)
Bases stationed
- Ashiya Air Base, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
(1952–1957) - Udorn Royal Thai Air Force BaseUdorn Royal Thai Air Force BaseUdorn Royal Thai Air Force Base is a Royal Thai Air Force base, the home of 2nd Air Division/23rd Wing Air Combat Command.The 231 Squadron "Hunter" is assigned to Udorn, equipped with the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet-A.-History:...
, ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
(1967) - Tuy Hoa Air BaseTuy Hoa Air BaseTuy Hoa Air Base is a former air force base in Vietnam, being closed in 1970. It was built by the United States between 1965-1966 and was used by the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War in the II Corps Tactical Zone of South Vietnam. It was seized by the Vietnam People's Army in April...
, South VietnamSouth VietnamSouth Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
(1967–1970) - Cam Ranh Air BaseCam Ranh Air BaseCam Ranh Air Base is located on Cam Ranh Bay in the province of Khanh Hoa, Vietnam. It was one of several South Vietnamese Air Force air bases built and used by the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War...
, South Vietnam (1970–1972) - Korat Royal Thai Air Force BaseKorat Royal Thai Air Force BaseKorat Royal Thai Air Force Base is a base of the Royal Thai Air Force. It is located in northeast Thailand, located approximately 157 miles northeast of Bangkok and about 5 miles south of Nakhon Ratchasima , the second largest city in Thailand.During the Vietnam War, Korat RTAFB was the...
(1972) - Misawa Air BaseMisawa Air Baseright|thumb|A US Navy C-2 at Misawa is a United States military facility located northeast of the railway station in Misawa, west of the Pacific Ocean, northeast of Towada, northwest of Hachinohe, and north of Tokyo, in Aomori Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region in the northern part of the...
, Japan (1992–1994) - Patrick Air Force BasePatrick Air Force BasePatrick Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located between Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach, in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It was named in honor of Major General Mason Patrick. An Air Force Space Command base, it is home to the 45th Space Wing...
, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
(1997–Present)
Aircraft Operated
- SA-16 Albatross (1952–1957)
- SC-47C-47 SkytrainThe Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
(1952–1957) - SH-19 Chickasaw (1952–1957)
- HC-130 Hercules (1967–1972, 1997–Present)
- HH-60 Pave HawkHH-60 Pave HawkThe Sikorsky MH-60G/HH-60G Pave Hawk is a twin turboshaft engine helicopter in service with the United States Air Force. It is a derivative of the UH-60 Black Hawk and incorporates the US Air Force PAVE electronic systems program...
(1992–1994)