56th Rescue Squadron

Mission

The 56th Rescue Squadron is a combat-ready search and rescue squadron of HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters capable of executing all-weather search and rescue missions day or night in hostile environments in support of USAFE, USEUCOM, and NATO operations. It employs a state-of-the-art communications and navigation system along with advanced search and rescue equipment. The squadron is capable of deploying to any theater of operations in the world.

Morocco

The 56th flew search and rescue, and medical evacuation, in North Africa and southern Europe from, November 1952-March 1960.

Vietnam War

It flew combat missions in Southeast Asia from, 10 July 1972 – 15 August 1973, to include search and rescue, airborne mission control, and aerial refueling. The squadron continued to perform local search and rescue until February 1975. On 1 April 1972 the 39th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron was inactivated and its aircraft and crews temporarily became part of Detachment 4 of the 3d Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base. On 8 July 1972 the detachment was replaced by the 56th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron.

On 12 April 1975 the squadron's HC-130Ps supported Operation Eagle Pull, the evacuation of Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

On 15 October 1975 the squadron was inactivated at Korat and its 4 remaining HC-130Ps joined the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron.

Operations from Iceland and the United Kingdom

It flew search and rescue support to the Iceland Defense Force from, May 1988-September 2006.

In 2011 a detachment of helicopters from the 56th deployed on board the USS Ponce (LPD-15).

Lineage

Constituted as the 56th Air Rescue Squadron on 17 October 1952

Activated on 14 November 1953Discontinued and inactivated on 18 March 1960

Activated on 8 July 1972

Redesignated 56th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron on 10 July 1972Inactivated on 15 October 1975

Activated on 1 May 1988

Redesignated 56th Air Rescue Squadron on 1 June 1989Redesignated 56th Rescue Squadron on 1 February 1993

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Assignments

7th Air Rescue Group, 14 November 1952 (attached to 5th Air Division until 28 February 1953)

12th Air Rescue Group, 8 December 1956

Air Rescue Service, 18 February 1958 - 18 March 1960 (attached European Rescue Operations Center)

3d Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group, 8 July 1972

41 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing (later 41 Rescue and Weather Reconnaissance Wing, 20 Aug 1972-15 Oct 1975 (attached to 3d Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group)

39th Special Operations Wing, 1 May 1988

41st Rescue and Weather Reconnaissance Wing, 1 April 1989

Air Rescue Service, 1 August 1989

Air Forces Iceland, 1 February 1993

35th Operations Group, 31 May 1993

85th Operations Group, 1 October 1994

85th Group, 1 July 1995

48th Operations Group, 28 June 2006 – present

Stations

Sidi Slimane Air Base, French Morocco], 14 November 1952 – 18 March 1960

Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, 8 July 1972 – 15 October 1975

Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, 1 May 1988

RAF Lakenheath, England, 1 June 2006 – present

Aircraft

Sikorsky H-5 Dragonfly (1952–1953)

Grumman SA-16 Albatross (1952–1960)

Douglas SC-47 Skytrain (1953–1956)

Sikorsky SH-19 (1953–1960)

Lockheed HC-130 Hercules (1972–1975)

Kaman HH-43 Huskie (1972–1975)

Sikorsky HH-3 Jolly Green Giant (1988–1992)

Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk (1992 – present)