USAF Patch Rescue b 40 ARRS Aerospace Rescue Recovery Squadron UH 1 a

USAF Patch 40 ARRS Aerospace Rescue Recovery Squadron CSAR Base Support UH 1 Huey helicopters 1978 Hill AFB Fully embroidered cut edge 92mm by 72mm three and five eighth inches by two and thirteen sixteenth inches.

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40 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron ARRS was activated on 21 March 1968 at Udorn RTAFB Thailand assigned to 3 Aerospace Rescue Recovery Group equipped with HH 3 Jolly Green Giant helicopters to provide combat search and rescue cover for aircrew engaged over Vietnam and Laos. 40 ARRS immediately established its Detachment 1 at Nakhon Phanom RTAFB on 21 March 1968. The Squadron absorbed Detachment 2 37 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron also based at Udorn RTAFB in March 1968 adding their HH 3 and HH 53B Super Jolly Green Giant helicopters to its fleet. The HH 53s were also named Buffs Big Ugly Fat Fuckers and the HH 3 became known as Nitnoy the Thai word for small. The Squadron retired it HH 3 Jolly Green Giant helicopters in 1969.

40 ARRS relocated to Nakhon Phanom RTAFB on 21 July 1971. The Squadron was reassigned to 41 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing on 20 August 1972 and at the same time 3 Aerospace Rescue Recovery Groups local base rescue LBR HH 43 Perdro two ship detachments were transferred to the Squadron with Detachment 2 at Takhli RTAFB Detachment 3 at Ubon RTAFB Detachment 4 at Korat RTAFB Detachment 5 at Udorn RTAFB Detachment 12 at U Tapao Royal Thai Naval Airfield and Detachment 14 at Tan Son Nhut AB South Vietnam. 40 ARRS received an additional five HH 53 Buffs from Danang based 37 ARRS on its deactivation on 30 November 1972 and took over 37 ARRSs Danang AB local base rescue LRB two ship HH 43 Pedro Det as Detachment 7 40 ARRS to provide Danang base rescue during Operation Linebacker II. Det 8 at Takhli RTAFB was redesignated Detachment 10 on 31 January 1973. 

With the Paris Peace Accords agreement all US Forces were to be withdrawn from South Vietnam by 27 March 1973 and Detachment 7 at Danang AB and Detachment 14 at Tan Son Nhut AB were both inactivated on 10 February 1973 leaving the Squadron with eleven HH 53 Buffs and fourteen HH 43 Pedros. The Squadron provided CSAR support for USAF combat operations over Cambodia which continued until 15 August 1973. 

Detachment 10 at Takhli RTAFB was disbanded on 30 July 1974 followed by Detachment 3 at Ubon RTAFB on 20 August 1974 and Detachment 1 at Nakhon Phanom RTAFB on 20 February 1975 leaving the Squadron with 8 HH 53Cs and 4 HH 43Fs. The Squadron participated in the evacuation of Phnom Penh and Saigon and its HH 53s were used in the recapture of the SS Mayaguez. 40 ARRS was reassigned to 41 Rescue and Weather Reconnaissance Wing RWRW upon the Wings redesignation from 41 ARRW on 1 September 1975 and relocated to Korat RTAFB on 1 October 1975 and received four HC 130P Combat King aircraft from 56 ARRS on its deactivation on 15 October 1975. 40 ARRS was deactivated at Korat RTAFB on 31 January 1976. 

40 ARRS was reactivated on 1 July 1978 at Hill AFB Utah equipped with UH 1 Iroquois helicopters assigned to 39 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing to provide rescue transportation and support to USAF bases with Detachment 4 at Hill AFB Detachment 5 at Edwards AFB Detachment 6 at Holloman AFB including TDY deployments to the Bahamas Detachment 22 Mountain Home AFB and Detachment 24 Fairchild AFB. The Squadron added Detachment 1 at Homestead AFB which also provided support for SAR training at USAF Water Survival School Detachment 10 at MacDill AFB and Detachment 18 at Plattsburgh AFB on 8 January 1978 before it was inactivated on 31 December 1987.  

The Squadron was reduced to flight status and was reactivated as 40 Rescue Flight at Malmstrom AFB Montana on 1 May 1993 equipped with the UH 1N Huey helicopters and assigned to 341 Operations Group. 40 RF was redesignated 40 Helicopter Flight on 1 May 1998. 

40 Helicopter Flight was redesignated 40 Helicopter Squadron on 11 October 2005 and was reassigned to 582 Helicopter Group on 5 January 2015. 

This patch dates from 1978.