USAF Patch Rescue b 33 ARRS Aerospace Rescue Recovery Squadron Team Spirit 81

USAF Patch 33 ARRS Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron Team Spirit 81 Controller Aggressor 1981 Kusan Osan AB South Korea HC 130 HH 53 Super Jolly Green Giant Embroidered on twill cut edge 111mm by 85mm four and three eighth inches by three and three eighth inches.

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History

33 Air Rescue Squadron was activated on 14 November 1952 at Kadena AB Okinawa to provide search rescue and recovery services equipped with SA 16 Albatross amphibious aircraft SH 19 Chickasaw helicopters and SC 47 Skytrain aircraft adapted for Search And Rescue SAR. The Squadron was assigned to 2 Air Rescue Group and attached to 12 Air Force. The Squadron ceased its attachment to 12 Air Force and was reassigned to 3 Air Rescue Group on 1 March 1955 before relocating to Naha AB Okinawa on 14 April 1955. The Squadron was reassigned to 3 Air Rescue Group on 20 September 1955 and then back to 2 Air Rescue Group on 18 June 1957 before reassignment to Air Rescue Service on 24 June 1958 first attached to the Pacific Recovery Operations Centre and then attached to Detachment 2 ARS Pacific Recovery Operations Centre on 18 March 1959. The Squadron stood down on 18 March 1960.

33 Air Rescue Squadron was stood up on 18 June 1961 at Naha AB Okinawa tasked with local base firefighting and crash recovery LBR operations equipped with SA 16 Albatross amphibious aircraft and SH 19 Chickasaw helicopters and HH 43 Huskie Pedro helicopters assigned to Air Rescue Service attached to Detachment 1 ARS Pacific Recovery Operations Centre then attached to Pacific Air Rescue Centre on 8 October 1961.

The Squadron exchanged its SH 19 Chickasaw helicopters for HH 43B Huskie helicopters in 1964. With the escalation of the covert USAF operations over Vietnam and Laos and the immediate requirement for Aircrew Recovery ACR search and rescue assets locally 33 ARS Local Base Rescue deployed TDY two HH 43B Huskie helicopters and 36 personnel including base hospital personnel to act as inflight medics originally destined for Bien Hao to Nakhon Phanom RTAFB on the Thailand Laos border as Detachment 3 Pacific Air Rescue Centre Provisional Det 3 PARC P a rotational detachment to support Yankee Team operations over Laos on 20 June 1964 although limited range meant that coverage of the main combat area over the Plain of Jars Laos was not possible. At the same time 33 ARS LBR deployed two HU 16B Albatross aircraft to Korat RTAFB to provide rotational airborne rescue command and control while 31 ARS LBR at Clark AFB Philippines deployed three HU 16B Albatrosses to Da Nang South Vietnam for Duckbutt search and rescue orbits over the Tonkin Gulf with two further HU 16Es deployed from 33 ARS in July 1964. While rescue techniques were developed including the fielding of composite teams with forward air control O 1E Bird Dog aircraft to locate and smoke mark the downed airmen and local enemy combatants and initial command control callsign Nail on scene command and control HU 16 Albatross call sign King close air support A 1 Skyraiders callsign Sandy for suppression of enemy fire and the pickup helicopters HH 34s callsign Pedro but with limited numbers and lack of updated specialist aircraft the rescue service did not meet urgent needs of combat aircrews. Following reorganisation and provision of new aircraft and helicopters all SAR assets in South East Asia were assigned to the newly established 38 ARS on 30 June 1965 although the Squadron continued to provide TDY personnel to 38 ARS detachments.

33 ARS was redesignated 33 Air Recovery Squadron on 1 July 1965 and 33 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron ARRS on 8 January 1966 under the redesignated Pacific Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Centre. The Squadron added C 54 Skymaster aircraft to its fleet and gave up its HH 43 Huskie helicopters in 1966. The Squadron ceased its deployments to Vietnam and was reassigned to 41 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing in 1967. The Squadron supported operations following the seizure of the USS Pueblo by North Korea between 29 January and 16 September 1968 and was inactivated on 1 October 1970.

33 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron ARRS was reactivated on 1 July 1971 at Kadena AB Okinawa equipped with HH 43 Huskie and HH 3 Jolly Green Giant  helicopters assigned to 41 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing. 33 ARRS activated Detachment 1 at Clark AB Philippines Detachment 2 at Kusan AB and Detachment 9 with two HH 34s at Osan AB South Korea to provide dedicated rescue cover for the Korean peninsula. The Squadron retired its HH 43 Huskies redesignated Det 9 to Detachment 13 and added HC 130P Combat King Hercules aircraft to its fleet in 1972. Detachment 1 at Clark AB Philippines was redesignated Detachment 1 of 41 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing Detachment 2 at Kusan AB was redesignated Detachment 2 of 41 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing and Detachment 13 at Osan AB South Korea was redesignated Detachment 13 of 41 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing. The Squadron transitioned from HH 3 to HH 53 Super Jolly Green Giant helicopters in 1975 and was reassigned Det 1 Clark AB Det 2 Kusan AB and Det 13 at Osan AB in 1977 from 41 Rescue and Weather Reconnaissance Wing.

The Squadron replaced its HH 53s with HH 3E Jolly Green Giant helicopters in 1982 and undertook search and salvage operations in September and October 1983 after a Soviet fighter aircraft shot down South Korean 747 airliner KAL 007 on 1 September 1983. 33 ARRS inactivated Det 1 at Clark AB redesignated Detachment 13 at Osan AB South Korea as Detachment 1 and retained Detachment 2 at Kusan AB South Korea.

33 ARRS was redesignated 33 Air Rescue Squadron on 1 June 1989 was reassigned to Air Rescue Service on 1 August 1989 and retired its HC 130P aircraft leaving it operating HH 3E Jolly Green Giant helicopters. The Squadron deployed elements to Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Storm 1990 91.

The Squadron was redesignated 33 Rescue Squadron RQS and was reassigned to 18 Wing Operations Group on 1 February 1993. 33 RQS began transition to HH 60 Pave Hawk special operations and combat search and rescue CSAR helicopters in 1993 with its last HH 3E retired in 1994. Detachment 2 was relocated to Misawa AB Japan.

33 RQS disbanded its Pararescue personnel on the activation of 31 Rescue Squadron under 18 Wing Operations Group at Kadena AB on 31 July 2003 tasked with providing trained Pararescuemen PJs for 33 RQS rescue operations. The Squadron deployed elements to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and with its maintenance units 33 AMU and 718 AMXS along with PJs of 31 RQS commenced rotational deployments to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom in 2004 as 33 Expeditionary Rescue Squadron. 33 ERQS deployed to Sri Lanka in early 2005 to assist the humanitarian relief following the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. Regular deployments continued to Khandahar Bagram and Camp Bastion Afghanistan with a squadron crew awarded deployed to Khandahar with 129 Expeditionary Rescue Squadron earned the Mackay Trophy for the most significant USAF mission in 2009. In addition members of the 33 RQS won the Jolly Green Association Rescue Mission of the Year Award for 2008 2009 and 2010.

The Squadron deployed to Yokota AB Japan on 12 Mach 2011 to provide SAR and humanitarian assistance following the Japanese earthquake and Tsunami on 11 March 2011 returning to Kadena on 4 April 2011. 33 ERQS operations in Afghanistan concluded at the end of 2013 but personnel continue to deploy to Afghanistan 83 ERQS at Bagram.

This patch dates from 1981.