USAF Patch Rescue Vietnam b 37 ARRS Aerospace Rescue Recovery Squadron Jolly Green

USAF Patch 37 ARRS Aerospace Rescue Recovery Squadron Jolly Green Giant HH 3E Vietnam 1967 US Made embroidered on twill merrowed edge 102mm by 71mm four inches by two and three quarter inches.

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History

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 equipped with UH 1F HH 1H and UH 1N helicopters to support operational missile Wings and provide local SAR MEDEVAC Firefighting and utility with Headquarters Flight at FE Warren AFB WY and nine geographically separated Detachments. The Headquarters Flight FE Warren AFB was later redesignated as Detachment 10. 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 and was redesignated 79 Rescue Flight in 1998. 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 and was redesignated 40 Helicopter Flight in 1998. Det 6 was based at McConnell AFB supporting 381 Strategic Missile Wing with Titan II Inter ICBMs until 1987. Det 7 based at Minot AFB supporting 91 Strategic Missile Wing with Minuteman III ICBMs and was later redesignated 54 Helicopter Flight in 1993. Det 8 was based at Vandenberg AFB Missile Test Base equipped with UH 1N helicopters and supported ICBM missile test and evaluation activities later 76 Rescue Flight in 1993. Det 9 was based at Whiteman AFB supporting 351 Strategic Missile Wing with Minuteman III ICBMs. Det 10 based at FE Warren AFB supporting 90 Strategic Missile Wing with Minuteman III ICBMs and was redesignated 37 Rescue Flight on 1 May 1993.

This patch dates from 1967.