920th Rescue Wing
Encyclopedia
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 (GSUs) located at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
, Arizona
and Portland International Airport
/Air Reserve Station, Oregon
. It is an Air Force Reserve Command
(AFRC) flying unit, operationally-gained by the Air Combat Command
(ACC).
, Florida, the 920th Rescue Wing is the Air Force Reserve Command
's premier combat search and rescue (CSAR) unit. The wing consists of over 1,500 Airmen, trained and equipped to locate and recover U.S. Armed Forces personnel during both peacetime and wartime military operations. Additional missions include providing rescue support for NASA
Space Shuttle missions, providing search and rescue support for civilians who are lost or in distress and lending support in humanitarian and disaster relief operations with the wing's HH-60G Pave Hawk and HC-130P/N Hercules aircraft.
In addition to its aircraft squadrons in Florida and Arizona, the wing also has three additional squadrons in Florida, Arizona and Oregon consisting of Combat Rescue Officers (CROs) and enlisted Pararescuemen, the latter known as PJs. While many CROs and PJs enter the 920 RQW from the active duty Air Force, others are accessed directly into the Air Force Reserve. CRO and PJ Candidates must pass a physical assessment test which has about 15% success rate. An average of eighty people enter the 2-year training program each year.
The first of these was the 920th Troop Carrier Group, later 920th Tactical Airlift Group (920 TAG). Established in 1963 as a tenant command at the Air National Guard base at Memphis International Airport
, Tennessee, the 920th in its previous pre-rescue mission iteration trained for and performed military airlift
missions from 1963–1965 and 1973–1975, initially with C-123 Provider
and later with C-130 Hercules
aircraft as part of the 445th Military Airlift Wing
and 459th Tactical Airlift Wing
, both at Memphis ANGB and at its subsequent base of Keesler AFB, Mississippi. Later redesignated as the 920th Weather Reconnaissance Group, it then flew weather
reconnaissance
missions with WC-130 Hercules aircraft, including flying into hurricanes from 1976–1983 as part of the 403rd Rescue and Weather Reconnaissance Wing at Keesler.
The second organization, which has an even longer history, serves as the basis for the wing's current mission. That unit, the 301st Rescue Squadron
(301 RQS), was established on March 9, 1956 as the Air Force Reserve's first air rescue squadron. This original squadron, which still exists as an operational flying squadron within the current wing, was initially based in a military cantonement area at Miami International Airport
prior to relocating to nearby Homestead Air Force Base in 1960.
The squadron's legacy includes the first Air Force Reserve rescue in January 1957; participating in NASA's manned space flight rescue contingency operations beginning with Freedom 7, the first manned Mercury launch in 1961; rescuing 137 South Florida residents during the 18-day humanitarian operation following Hurricane Andrew in August 1992; and on one day in March 1993, saving 93 elderly residents from rising flood waters at their Tampa area retirement community. The 920th routinely searches the Caribbean for downed aircraft and retrieves critically ill sailors from ships hundreds of miles out in the Atlantic.
Most recently, airmen of the 920th Rescue Wing, with aid from the U.S. Coast Guard, made a daring rescue of 28 British seamen from their sinking merchant vessel 270 miles off the east coast of Florida. In 2005, the wing's HC-130
and HH-60 flight crews recorded more than 1,000 lives saved during disaster operations along the Louisiana
/Mississippi
/Alabama
Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina
. The wing's flight crews fly in weather conditions which often test man and machine or at night using night-vision goggle (NVG) technology. The 920th completes arduous, over-water rescues which frequently require the unit's HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters to be mid-air refueled by their
HC-130P Hercules aircraft — a capability not shared by the U.S. Coast Guard's HH-60J Jayhawk helicopters.
The wing is also fully integrated into the Air Force's Air and Space Expeditionary Force (AEF) construct and previously deployed to the former NAS Keflavik, Iceland on a routine basis in support of NATO operations, and to various locations in Southwest Asia (to include combat zones in Iraq and Djbouti) in support of Operation Desert Storm, Operation Southern Watch
, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Originally constituted as the 301st Air Rescue Squadron on March 9, 1956, the organization was redesignated as the 301st Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron on January 18, 1966. It was renamed the 301st Air Rescue Squadron for a second time on April 1, 1990 and then redesignated as the 301st Rescue Squadron on February 1, 1992. In August 1992, the squadron evacuated all flyable aircraft assets from its then-home station of Homestead Air Force Base pending the landfall of Hurricane Andrew
. Temporarily relocating to Patrick Air Force Base
following the destruction of Homestead AFB, the unit permanently changed its home station to Patrick AFB in 1993 rather than returning to the redesignated Homestead Air Reserve Base
.
Originally established as an amphibious aircraft unit with the venerable HU-16 Albatross
, the 301st eventually became a combined fixed-wing and rotary-wing organization, operating both the HC-130
Hercules and HH-3E Jolly Green Giant helicopter until 1991, when the HH-3Es were replaced by the current HH-60G Pave Hawk. In 1997, five years after the unit's 1992 relocation to Patrick AFB, the HH-60G portion of the unit was retained as the 301st Rescue Squadron, while the HC-130P/N
portion of the squadron was established as a separate unit designated as the 39th Rescue Squadron
(39 RQS). Together, they formed the nucleus of the newly created 920th Rescue Group, subordinate to the Air Force Reserve's 939th Rescue Wing at Portland International Airport
/Air Reserve Station, Oregon
. In 2000, the 939th was redesignated as the 939th Air Refueling Wing
and began to divest itself from the rescue mission and convert to KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft. As a result, in 2003 the 920th Rescue Group became the 920th Rescue Wing and parent unit for all combat search and rescue organizations in the Air Force Reserve Command
.
In 2004, the 920 RQW's Regular Air Force gaining command was briefly reassigned from Air Combat Command
(ACC) to Air Force Special Operations Command
(AFSOC). This was done as part of a USAF and DoD Joint Personnel Recovery Agency
(JPRA) initiative to merge all USAF combat search and rescue assets (CSAR) and USAF special operations fixed-wing and rotary-wing airborne infiltration/exfiltration, helicopter air refueling, and combat search and rescue/recovery assets into a single command. This initiative was applied to all Total Force CSAR assets, i.e., Regular Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command
and Air National Guard
. However, command and control issues unique to the special operations community made it apparent that this was not a preferred arrangement, and in 2006, AFSOC divested itself of all CSAR assets, including the 920 RQW, returning overall operational control to ACC in the Continental United States (CONUS) and to Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) in the case of those CSAR units and assets in the Alaska Air National Guard
.
In 2005, the wing provided extensive rescue and humanitarian support along the U.S. Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina, this less than 48 hours following the return of a significant portion of the wing's assets from an AEF deployment to Djibouti. Most recently (FY 2008), three of the 920th Rescue Wing's subordinate squadrons, the 301st Rescue Squadron
(301 RQS), the 39th Rescue Squadron
(39 RQS) and the 308th Rescue Squadron (308 RQS), led military units engaged in civilian rescue and relief for recent hurricane-related disasters in southeast Texas, Louisiana, and parts of Mississippi to include Keesler Air Force Base
in Biloxi, Misssissippi. Both Hurricanes Hannah and Ike wreaked havoc upon these states, with the 301 RQS providing support with HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, the 39 RQS with HC-130P Hercules aircraft and the 308 RQS providing Pararescueman (PJ)/Guardian Angel support.
Manned Space Flight Support: Project Mercury
(1961–1963), Project Gemini
(1965–1966), Project Apollo
(1968–1972), Project Skylab (1973–1974), Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
(1975), Space Transportation System (Space Shuttle)
(1981–2011)
Operations Desert Shield / Desert Storm (1990–1991), Hurricane Andrew
Relief Operations (1992), Operation Southern Watch (1992–2001), Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–Present), Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003–2010), Hurricane Katrina
Relief Operations (2005), Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (2005–present)
920th Operations Group (920 OG)
943rd Rescue Group
(943 RQG) (GSU at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
, Arizona
)
920th Maintenance Group (920 MXG)
920th Mission Support Group (920 MSG)
920th Aeromedical Staging Squadron (920 AMDSS)
Wing (air force unit)
Wing is a term used by different military aviation forces for a unit of command. The terms wing, group or Staffel are used for different-sized units from one country or service to another....
of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
based 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...
with additional geographically separated units (GSUs) located at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, and approximately south-southeast of downtown, Tucson, Arizona....
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and Portland International Airport
Portland International Airport
Portland International Airport is a joint civil-military airport and the largest airport in the U.S. state of Oregon, accounting for 90% of passenger travel and more than 95% of air cargo of the state. It is located within Portland's city limits just south of the Columbia River in Multnomah...
/Air Reserve Station, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. It is an Air Force Reserve Command
Air Force Reserve Command
The Air Force Reserve Command is a major command of the U.S. Air Force with its headquarters at Robins AFB, Georgia.It stood up as a major command of the Air Force on 17 February 1997....
(AFRC) flying unit, operationally-gained by the Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
(ACC).
Mission
Headquartered at Patrick Air Force BasePatrick 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, the 920th Rescue Wing is the Air Force Reserve Command
Air Force Reserve Command
The Air Force Reserve Command is a major command of the U.S. Air Force with its headquarters at Robins AFB, Georgia.It stood up as a major command of the Air Force on 17 February 1997....
's premier combat search and rescue (CSAR) unit. The wing consists of over 1,500 Airmen, trained and equipped to locate and recover U.S. Armed Forces personnel during both peacetime and wartime military operations. Additional missions include providing rescue support for NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
Space Shuttle missions, providing search and rescue support for civilians who are lost or in distress and lending support in humanitarian and disaster relief operations with the wing's HH-60G Pave Hawk and HC-130P/N Hercules aircraft.
In addition to its aircraft squadrons in Florida and Arizona, the wing also has three additional squadrons in Florida, Arizona and Oregon consisting of Combat Rescue Officers (CROs) and enlisted Pararescuemen, the latter known as PJs. While many CROs and PJs enter the 920 RQW from the active duty Air Force, others are accessed directly into the Air Force Reserve. CRO and PJ Candidates must pass a physical assessment test which has about 15% success rate. An average of eighty people enter the 2-year training program each year.
History
The 920th Rescue Wing (RQW) traces its history and lineage to two distinct organizations within the Air Force Reserve.The first of these was the 920th Troop Carrier Group, later 920th Tactical Airlift Group (920 TAG). Established in 1963 as a tenant command at the Air National Guard base at Memphis International Airport
Memphis International Airport
Memphis International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located three miles south of the central business district of Memphis, a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States....
, Tennessee, the 920th in its previous pre-rescue mission iteration trained for and performed military airlift
Airlift
Airlift is the act of transporting people or cargo from point to point using aircraft.Airlift may also refer to:*Airlift , a suction device for moving sand and silt underwater-See also:...
missions from 1963–1965 and 1973–1975, initially with C-123 Provider
C-123 Provider
The C-123 Provider was an American military transport aircraft designed by Chase Aircraft and subsequently built by Fairchild Aircraft for the United States Air Force...
and later with C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
aircraft as part of the 445th Military Airlift Wing
445th Airlift Wing
The 445th Airlift Wing is an operational wing of the United States Air Force Reserve. It is headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton, Ohio...
and 459th Tactical Airlift Wing
459th Air Refueling Wing
The 459th Air Refueling Wing is an Air Force Reserve Command unit based at Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility since 1954.-Overview:...
, both at Memphis ANGB and at its subsequent base of Keesler AFB, Mississippi. Later redesignated as the 920th Weather Reconnaissance Group, it then flew weather
Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...
reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
missions with WC-130 Hercules aircraft, including flying into hurricanes from 1976–1983 as part of the 403rd Rescue and Weather Reconnaissance Wing at Keesler.
The second organization, which has an even longer history, serves as the basis for the wing's current mission. That unit, the 301st Rescue Squadron
301st Rescue Squadron
The 301st Rescue Squadron is part of the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. It operates HH-60 Pave Hawk aircraft conducting search and rescue missions.-History:...
(301 RQS), was established on March 9, 1956 as the Air Force Reserve's first air rescue squadron. This original squadron, which still exists as an operational flying squadron within the current wing, was initially based in a military cantonement area at Miami International Airport
Miami International Airport
Miami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area...
prior to relocating to nearby Homestead Air Force Base in 1960.
The squadron's legacy includes the first Air Force Reserve rescue in January 1957; participating in NASA's manned space flight rescue contingency operations beginning with Freedom 7, the first manned Mercury launch in 1961; rescuing 137 South Florida residents during the 18-day humanitarian operation following Hurricane Andrew in August 1992; and on one day in March 1993, saving 93 elderly residents from rising flood waters at their Tampa area retirement community. The 920th routinely searches the Caribbean for downed aircraft and retrieves critically ill sailors from ships hundreds of miles out in the Atlantic.
Most recently, airmen of the 920th Rescue Wing, with aid from the U.S. Coast Guard, made a daring rescue of 28 British seamen from their sinking merchant vessel 270 miles off the east coast of Florida. In 2005, the wing's HC-130
HC-130
The Lockheed HC-130 is an extended-range, search and rescue and Combat search and rescue version of the C-130 Hercules transport. The HC-130H and HC-130J versions are operated by the United States Coast Guard in a SAR and maritime reconnaissance role. The HC-130P and HC-130N Combat King models...
and HH-60 flight crews recorded more than 1,000 lives saved during disaster operations along the Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
/Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
/Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
. The wing's flight crews fly in weather conditions which often test man and machine or at night using night-vision goggle (NVG) technology. The 920th completes arduous, over-water rescues which frequently require the unit's HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters to be mid-air refueled by their
HC-130P Hercules aircraft — a capability not shared by the U.S. Coast Guard's HH-60J Jayhawk helicopters.
The wing is also fully integrated into the Air Force's Air and Space Expeditionary Force (AEF) construct and previously deployed to the former NAS Keflavik, Iceland on a routine basis in support of NATO operations, and to various locations in Southwest Asia (to include combat zones in Iraq and Djbouti) in support of Operation Desert Storm, Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch was an operation conducted by Joint Task Force Southwest Asia with the mission of monitoring and controlling airspace south of the 32nd Parallel in Iraq, following the 1991 Gulf War until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.-Summary:Operation Southern Watch began on 27 August 1992...
, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Originally constituted as the 301st Air Rescue Squadron on March 9, 1956, the organization was redesignated as the 301st Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron on January 18, 1966. It was renamed the 301st Air Rescue Squadron for a second time on April 1, 1990 and then redesignated as the 301st Rescue Squadron on February 1, 1992. In August 1992, the squadron evacuated all flyable aircraft assets from its then-home station of Homestead Air Force Base pending the landfall of Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew was the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew was the first named storm and only major hurricane of the otherwise inactive 1992 Atlantic hurricane season...
. Temporarily relocating to 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...
following the destruction of Homestead AFB, the unit permanently changed its home station to Patrick AFB in 1993 rather than returning to the redesignated Homestead Air Reserve Base
Homestead Air Reserve Base
Homestead Air Reserve Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately east-northeast of Homestead, Florida.The host unit at Homestead is the 482d Fighter Wing assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command Tenth Air Force...
.
Originally established as an amphibious aircraft unit with the venerable HU-16 Albatross
HU-16 Albatross
The Grumman HU-16 Albatross is a large twin-radial engine amphibious flying boat that was utilized by the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard, primarily as a search and rescue and combat search and rescue aircraft...
, the 301st eventually became a combined fixed-wing and rotary-wing organization, operating both the HC-130
HC-130
The Lockheed HC-130 is an extended-range, search and rescue and Combat search and rescue version of the C-130 Hercules transport. The HC-130H and HC-130J versions are operated by the United States Coast Guard in a SAR and maritime reconnaissance role. The HC-130P and HC-130N Combat King models...
Hercules and HH-3E Jolly Green Giant helicopter until 1991, when the HH-3Es were replaced by the current HH-60G Pave Hawk. In 1997, five years after the unit's 1992 relocation to Patrick AFB, the HH-60G portion of the unit was retained as the 301st Rescue Squadron, while the HC-130P/N
HC-130
The Lockheed HC-130 is an extended-range, search and rescue and Combat search and rescue version of the C-130 Hercules transport. The HC-130H and HC-130J versions are operated by the United States Coast Guard in a SAR and maritime reconnaissance role. The HC-130P and HC-130N Combat King models...
portion of the squadron was established as a separate unit designated as the 39th Rescue Squadron
39th Rescue Squadron
The 39th Rescue Squadron is part of the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. It operates HC-130 Hercules aircraft conducting search and rescue missions.-History:...
(39 RQS). Together, they formed the nucleus of the newly created 920th Rescue Group, subordinate to the Air Force Reserve's 939th Rescue Wing at Portland International Airport
Portland International Airport
Portland International Airport is a joint civil-military airport and the largest airport in the U.S. state of Oregon, accounting for 90% of passenger travel and more than 95% of air cargo of the state. It is located within Portland's city limits just south of the Columbia River in Multnomah...
/Air Reserve Station, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. In 2000, the 939th was redesignated as the 939th Air Refueling Wing
939th Air Refueling Wing
The 939th Air Refueling Wing was a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Portland Air Reserve Station, Oregon. It was an Air Force Reserve Command flying unit operationally-gained by the Air Mobility Command...
and began to divest itself from the rescue mission and convert to KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft. As a result, in 2003 the 920th Rescue Group became the 920th Rescue Wing and parent unit for all combat search and rescue organizations in the Air Force Reserve Command
Air Force Reserve Command
The Air Force Reserve Command is a major command of the U.S. Air Force with its headquarters at Robins AFB, Georgia.It stood up as a major command of the Air Force on 17 February 1997....
.
In 2004, the 920 RQW's Regular Air Force gaining command was briefly reassigned from Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
(ACC) to Air Force Special Operations Command
Air Force Special Operations Command
Air Force Special Operations Command is the Special Operations component of the United States Air Force and the US Air Force component command to the United States Special Operations Command , a unified command located at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida...
(AFSOC). This was done as part of a USAF and DoD Joint Personnel Recovery Agency
Joint Personnel Recovery Agency
The Joint Personnel Recovery Agency, or JPRA, is charged with the coordinating and advancing capabilities for military, civil, and diplomatic efforts to obtain the release or recovery of captured, missing, or isolated United States personnel from uncertain or hostile environments and denied areas...
(JPRA) initiative to merge all USAF combat search and rescue assets (CSAR) and USAF special operations fixed-wing and rotary-wing airborne infiltration/exfiltration, helicopter air refueling, and combat search and rescue/recovery assets into a single command. This initiative was applied to all Total Force CSAR assets, i.e., Regular Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command
Air Force Reserve Command
The Air Force Reserve Command is a major command of the U.S. Air Force with its headquarters at Robins AFB, Georgia.It stood up as a major command of the Air Force on 17 February 1997....
and Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
. However, command and control issues unique to the special operations community made it apparent that this was not a preferred arrangement, and in 2006, AFSOC divested itself of all CSAR assets, including the 920 RQW, returning overall operational control to ACC in the Continental United States (CONUS) and to Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) in the case of those CSAR units and assets in the Alaska Air National Guard
Alaska Air National Guard
The Alaska Air National Guard is the component of the United States Air National Guard operating within the state of Alaska.-Overview:Alaska Air National Guard units are trained and equipped as part of the United States Air Force. The same ranks and insignia are used and National Guardsmen are...
.
In 2005, the wing provided extensive rescue and humanitarian support along the U.S. Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina, this less than 48 hours following the return of a significant portion of the wing's assets from an AEF deployment to Djibouti. Most recently (FY 2008), three of the 920th Rescue Wing's subordinate squadrons, the 301st Rescue Squadron
301st Rescue Squadron
The 301st Rescue Squadron is part of the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. It operates HH-60 Pave Hawk aircraft conducting search and rescue missions.-History:...
(301 RQS), the 39th Rescue Squadron
39th Rescue Squadron
The 39th Rescue Squadron is part of the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. It operates HC-130 Hercules aircraft conducting search and rescue missions.-History:...
(39 RQS) and the 308th Rescue Squadron (308 RQS), led military units engaged in civilian rescue and relief for recent hurricane-related disasters in southeast Texas, Louisiana, and parts of Mississippi to include Keesler Air Force Base
Keesler Air Force Base
Keesler Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Biloxi, a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. The base is named in honor of aviator 2d Lt Samuel Reeves Keesler, Jr., a Mississippi native killed in France in First World War.-Units:The base is home of...
in Biloxi, Misssissippi. Both Hurricanes Hannah and Ike wreaked havoc upon these states, with the 301 RQS providing support with HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, the 39 RQS with HC-130P Hercules aircraft and the 308 RQS providing Pararescueman (PJ)/Guardian Angel support.
Operations
NASANASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
Manned Space Flight Support: Project Mercury
Project Mercury
In January 1960 NASA awarded Western Electric Company a contract for the Mercury tracking network. The value of the contract was over $33 million. Also in January, McDonnell delivered the first production-type Mercury spacecraft, less than a year after award of the formal contract. On February 12,...
(1961–1963), Project Gemini
Project Gemini
Project Gemini was the second human spaceflight program of NASA, the civilian space agency of the United States government. Project Gemini was conducted between projects Mercury and Apollo, with ten manned flights occurring in 1965 and 1966....
(1965–1966), Project Apollo
Project Apollo
The Apollo program was the spaceflight effort carried out by the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration , that landed the first humans on Earth's Moon. Conceived during the Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Apollo began in earnest after President John F...
(1968–1972), Project Skylab (1973–1974), Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
-Backup crew:-Crew notes:Jack Swigert had originally been assigned as the command module pilot for the ASTP prime crew, but prior to the official announcement he was removed as punishment for his involvement in the Apollo 15 postage stamp scandal.-Soyuz crew:...
(1975), Space Transportation System (Space Shuttle)
Space Shuttle program
NASA's Space Shuttle program, officially called Space Transportation System , was the United States government's manned launch vehicle program from 1981 to 2011...
(1981–2011)
Operations Desert Shield / Desert Storm (1990–1991), Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew was the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew was the first named storm and only major hurricane of the otherwise inactive 1992 Atlantic hurricane season...
Relief Operations (1992), Operation Southern Watch (1992–2001), Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–Present), Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003–2010), Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
Relief Operations (2005), Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (2005–present)
Previous designations
- 920th Troop Carrier Group (1963–1973)
- 920th Tactical Airlift Group (1973–1976)
- 920th Weather Reconnaissance Group (1976–1997)
- 920th Rescue Group (1997–2003)
- 920th Rescue Wing (2003–Present)
Numbered Air Force
- 4th Air Force (1976–1977, 1981–1983)
- 10th Air Force (1997, 2003–Present)
Wing
- 445th Military Airlift Wing445th Airlift WingThe 445th Airlift Wing is an operational wing of the United States Air Force Reserve. It is headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton, Ohio...
(1963–1965) - 459th Tactical Airlift Wing459th Air Refueling WingThe 459th Air Refueling Wing is an Air Force Reserve Command unit based at Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility since 1954.-Overview:...
(1973–1976) - 403rd Rescue and Weather Reconnaissance Wing (1977–1981, 1983)
- 939th Rescue Wing939th Air Refueling WingThe 939th Air Refueling Wing was a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Portland Air Reserve Station, Oregon. It was an Air Force Reserve Command flying unit operationally-gained by the Air Mobility Command...
(1997–2003) - 920th Rescue Wing (2003–Present)
Subordinate Organizations
- 39th Rescue Squadron39th Rescue SquadronThe 39th Rescue Squadron is part of the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. It operates HC-130 Hercules aircraft conducting search and rescue missions.-History:...
(39 RQS)
- Commander: Lt Col Jeffery D. Hannold
- First Sergeant: MSgt John J. Manning Jr.
- 301st Rescue Squadron301st Rescue SquadronThe 301st Rescue Squadron is part of the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. It operates HH-60 Pave Hawk aircraft conducting search and rescue missions.-History:...
(301 RQS) - 308th Rescue Squadron (308 RQS)
- 920th Operations Support Flight (920 OSF)
943rd Rescue Group
943rd Rescue Group
The 943rd Rescue Group is a unit of the United States Air Force located at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.-Mission:The mission of the 943rd Rescue Group is to provide leadership, management, policy formulation, planning, and standardization for operations, training and support of the Air Force Reserve...
(943 RQG) (GSU at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, and approximately south-southeast of downtown, Tucson, Arizona....
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
)
- 304th Rescue Squadron304th Rescue SquadronThe 304th Rescue Squadron was most recently part of the 939th Rescue Wing at Portland International Airport, Oregon. It operated HH-60 Pave Hawk aircraft conducting search and rescue missions.-History:...
(304 RQS) (GSU at Portland International AirportPortland International AirportPortland International Airport is a joint civil-military airport and the largest airport in the U.S. state of Oregon, accounting for 90% of passenger travel and more than 95% of air cargo of the state. It is located within Portland's city limits just south of the Columbia River in Multnomah...
/Air Reserve Station, OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
) - 305th Rescue Squadron305th Rescue SquadronThe 305th Rescue Squadron was most recently part of the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. The squadron is geographically separated and operates from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona...
(305 RQS) - 306th Rescue Squadron (306 RQS)
- 943rd Operations Support Flight (943 OSF)
- 943rd Aerospace Medicine Flight
920th Maintenance Group (920 MXG)
- 920th Maintenance Squadron (920 MXS)
- 920th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (920 AMXS)
- 920th Maintenance Operations Flight (920 MOF)
- 943rd Maintenance Squadron (943 MXS) (GSU at Davis-Monthan Air Force BaseDavis-Monthan Air Force BaseDavis–Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, and approximately south-southeast of downtown, Tucson, Arizona....
, ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
)
920th Mission Support Group (920 MSG)
- 920th Logistics Readiness Flight (920 LRF)
- 920th Communications Flight (920 CF)
- 920th Mission Support Flight (920 MSS)
- 943d Mission Support Flight (943 MSS) (GSU at Davis-Monthan Air Force BaseDavis-Monthan Air Force BaseDavis–Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, and approximately south-southeast of downtown, Tucson, Arizona....
, ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
)
920th Aeromedical Staging Squadron (920 AMDSS)
Bases stationed
- Memphis Municipal AirportMemphis International AirportMemphis International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located three miles south of the central business district of Memphis, a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States....
, TennesseeTennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
(1963–1965) {previous troop carrier and tactical airlift missions} - Keesler Air Force BaseKeesler Air Force BaseKeesler Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Biloxi, a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. The base is named in honor of aviator 2d Lt Samuel Reeves Keesler, Jr., a Mississippi native killed in France in First World War.-Units:The base is home of...
, MississippiMississippiMississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
(1973–1983) {previous tactical airlift and weather reconnaissance missions} - Miami International AirportMiami International AirportMiami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area...
, 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...
(1956–1960) (rescue mission) - Homestead Air Force Base, 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...
(1960–1992) {rescue mission} - 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...
(1992–Present) {rescue mission}- GSUs at Davis-Monthan Air Force BaseDavis-Monthan Air Force BaseDavis–Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, and approximately south-southeast of downtown, Tucson, Arizona....
, ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and Portland International AirportPortland International AirportPortland International Airport is a joint civil-military airport and the largest airport in the U.S. state of Oregon, accounting for 90% of passenger travel and more than 95% of air cargo of the state. It is located within Portland's city limits just south of the Columbia River in Multnomah...
/Air Reserve Station, OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
(1992-Present) {rescue mission}
- GSUs at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
Aircraft operated
- C-123 ProviderC-123 ProviderThe C-123 Provider was an American military transport aircraft designed by Chase Aircraft and subsequently built by Fairchild Aircraft for the United States Air Force...
(1963–1965) - HU-16 AlbatrossHU-16 AlbatrossThe Grumman HU-16 Albatross is a large twin-radial engine amphibious flying boat that was utilized by the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard, primarily as a search and rescue and combat search and rescue aircraft...
(1956–1973) - UH-1N/HH-1N Twin Huey (1973–1979)
- C-130 HerculesC-130 HerculesThe Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
(1973–1977) - WC-130 HerculesWC-130 Hercules|-See also:-External links:*, a history of the WC-130...
(1976–1983) - HH-3E Jolly Green Giant (1974–1991)
- HC-130P/N (1974–Present)
- HH-60G Pave Hawk (1997–Present)