USAF Patch Rescue b 37 ARRS Aerospace Recovery Squadron UH 1 aa

USAF 37 ARRSQ Rescue Patch Aerospace Rescue Recovery Squadron 1973 UH 1 Huey FE Warren AFB and Dets at Missile Wings Embroidered on twill cut edge 92mm by 72mm three and seven eighth inches by two and fifteen sixteenth inches

USAF 37 ARRSQ Rescue Patch 37 ARRS Aerospace Rescue Squadron

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History USAF 37 ARRSQ Rescue

37 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron ARRS was activated on 8 January 1966 at Danang Air Base South Vietnam assigned to 3 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group with Detachment 1 at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base operating 5 HU 16 Albatross amphibious flying boat rescue aircraft on loan from 31 and 33 ARRS. The squadron was tasked with aircrew recovery over North Vietnam Laos and the Gulf of Tonkin.

Detachment 1 at Udorn RTAFB added two HC 130H Hercules for long range overwater search missions to its fleet on 30 March 1966 and a further three HC 130H aircraft in June 1966. Det 1s HC 130H aircraft were transferred to form newly activated 39 ARRS at Udorn RTAFB on 16 January 1967.

The Squadron activated Detachment 2 on 16 January 1967 on the redesignated of Det 5 38 ARRS at Udorn RTAFB operating HH 3E Jolly Green Giant long range search and rescue helicopters.

The Squadrons remaining five HU 16 Albatross amphibious flying boat rescue aircraft were transferred to 33 ARRS at Naha Okinawa on 2 February 1967. Det 2 received its first two HH 53B Super Jolly Green Giant long range search and rescue helicopters in September 1967 armed with GAU 2A 7.62 mm six barreled Gatling type machine guns a 250ft hoist with forest penetrator in flight refueling probe and carried two pararescuemen. Three more HH 53B Super Jolly Green Giant helicopters more were received by the Squadron.

Detachment 1 38 ARRS operating HH 3 Jolly Green Giant helicopters at Danang Air Base South Vietnam was assigned to 37 ARRS in May 1967. Detachment 2 37 ARRS at Udorn RTAFB was transferred to 40 ARRS in March 1968.

37 ARRS was inactivated at Danang AB South Vietnam on 30 November 1972 with five of its HH 53 Super Jolly Green Giants transferred to the 40 ARRS at Nakhon Phanom RTAFB while its two HH 3 Jolly Green Giants remained at Danang AB redesignated as Detachment 7 40 ARRS to provide rescue during Operation Linebacker II. The Squadron undertook numerous combat search and rescue and extraction operations including Bat 31 rescuing 887 suffering losses in aircraft and 26 personnel and became the USAF most decorated unit with 1 Medal Of Honor 12 Air Force Crosses 118 Silver Stars 427 Distinguished Flying Crosses Presidential Unit Citation and Outstanding Unit Citation.

37 ARRS was reactivated on 1 December 1973 assigned to Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service equipped with UH 1F HH 1H and UH 1N helicopters to support operational missile Wings with nuclear convoy security missile site support and to provide local SAR MEDEVAC Firefighting and utility with Headquarters Flight at FE Warren AFB WY and nine geographically separated Detachments.

Headquarters Flight supported 90 Strategic Missile Wing with Minuteman III ICBMs and was later redesignated as Detachment 10 37 ARRS. Det 1 was based at Davis Monthan AFB had HH 1H helicopters supporting Strategic Air Commands 390 Strategic Missile Wing with Titan II Inter Continental Ballistic Missiles ICBM and was inactivated in late 1985. Det 2 based at Ellsworth AFB supporting SACs 44 Strategic Missile Wing with Minuteman III ICBMs had UH 1F helicopters. Det 3 based at Grand Forks AFB supporting 321 Strategic Missile Wing with Minuteman III ICBMs was equipped with UH 1F and HH 1H. Det 4 was based at Little Rock AFB supporting 308 Strategic Missile Wing with Titan II Inter ICBMs and deactivated in 1987. Det 5 was based at Malmstrom AFB supporting 341 Strategic Missile Wing with Minuteman III ICBMs. Det 6 was based at McConnell AFB supporting 381 Strategic Missile Wing with Titan II Inter ICBMs until inactivated in 1987. Det 7 based at Minot AFB supporting 91 Strategic Missile Wing with Minuteman III ICBMs. Det 8 was based at Vandenberg AFB Missile Test Base equipped with UH 1N helicopters and supported ICBM missile test and evaluation activities. Det 9 was based at Whiteman AFB supporting 351 Strategic Missile Wing with Minuteman III ICBMs.

37 ARRS was reassigned to 39 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing on 1 July 1978 and then to 41 Rescue and Weather Reconnaissance Wing on 1 February 1987. The Squadron was redesignated 37 Air Rescue Squadron ARS on 1 June 1989 and reassigned to Air Rescue Service on 1 August 1989.

37 ARS was redesignated 37 Rescue Squadron RQS and reassigned to 90 Operations Group on 1 February 1993 but with Dets 1 4 and 6 already inactivated the Squadron was reduced to flight status with Det 10 at FE Warren AFB redesignated as 37 Rescue Flight Det 7 redesignated as 54 Helicopter Flight and Det 8 redesignated as 76 Rescue Flight on 1 May 1993. Dets 3 and 5 were continued until Det 3 was redesignated 79 Rescue Flight Det 5 was redesignated 40 Helicopter Flight on 1 May 1998 when 37 Rescue Flight was redesignated 37 Helicopter Flight tasked with flight support for the operation and security of the intercontinental ballistic missile complex at FE Warren AFB as well as local SAR missions.

The Flight was upgraded to Squadron status and redesignated 37 Helicopter Squadron on 21 October 2005. The Squadron was attached to 20 AF Helicopter Operations Group Provisional on 1 August 2014 and reassigned to 582 Helicopter Group on 15 January 2015.

This patch dates from the 1970s