USAF Patch ANG 129 ARRS Aerospace Rescue Recovery Squadron Combat King

USAF Patch ANG 129 ARRS Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron Combat King CSAR 1978 HH 3E Jolly Green Giant HC 130 California Air National Guard Hayward Airport Velcro Fully embroidered cut edge 86mm by 70mm three and three eighth inches by two and three quarter inches.

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History 

USAF decided to phase out active duty unconventional warfare Air Resupply units in 1954 but recognized the need to maintain a limited number of crews and aircraft to support clandestine missions and established four special air warfare units within the Air National Guard 129 Air Resupply Squadron in California 130 ARS in West Virginia 143 ARS in Rhode Island and 135 ARS in Maryland. 

129 Air Resupply Squadron was activated on 3 April 1955 at Hayward Municipal Airport Ca assigned to 129 Air Resupply Group allocated to Military Air Transport Service MATS equipped with C 46 Commando transport aircraft to support USAF unconventional guerrilla warfare direct action commando raids strategic intelligence reconnaissance and Psychological Warfare PSYWAR operations. The Squadron added SA 16 Albatross amphibious flying boat aircraft to its fleet in 1956 for night time clandestine landing of spies commandos or raiders on water and personnel extractions while airborne using the Fulton Recovery System. The Squadron was also tasked with counterinsurgency military civic action and tactical air operations. 

The Squadron was redesignated 129 Troop Carrier Squadron TCS on 1 November 1958 with the Group renamed 129 Troop Carrier Group and provided aid during floods along the Yuba River in 1959. 129 TCS was redesignated 129 Troop Carrier Squadron Medium 28 January 1962. The Squadron and Group were reassigned to Tactical Air Command in 1963 and redesignated 129 Air Commando Squadron and Group following the revival of an active duty air commando unit at Hurlburt Field Florida in line with President John F Kennedys initiative to bolster the US military special forces during the early involvement in the Vietnam War. The Squadron retired its C 46 Commando transport aircraft in 1963 and participated in training exercises with 1 Air Commando Group at Hulbert Field including Exercise Swift Strike III 1963 one of the largest military manoeuvres since World War II and carried out a variety of special air warfare missions. The Squadron provided humanitarian support during floods along the Eel River in 1964 65. 

129 Air Commando Squadron was redesignated 129 Special Operations Squadron on 8 August 1968 and replaced its SA 16 Albatross flying boats with C 119 Flying Boxcar Cessna U 3A Blue Canoe U 6A Beaver and U 10D Super Courier transport and light transport aircraft. 

With the end of the Vietnam War and reduction of special operations forces 129 SOS was retasked and reequipped with HC 130P Combat King Hercules aircraft and HH 3E Jolly Green Giant helicopters and redesignated 129 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron on 3 May 1975 with 129 ARRG assigned to Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service of Military Airlift Command. The Squadron was tasked with combat search and rescue CSAR for USAF operations and search rescue and humanitarian disaster support to civilian populations. The Squadron completed its first save when it rescued an A 10 pilot who had crashed during a Red Flag Exercise in March 1977. 

With limited facilities for its expanded mission and role at Hayward the Squadron and group relocated to Naval Air Station Moffett Field California in 1980. 129 ARRS rescued 33 people during the flooding in Sonoma Sutter and Yuba counties in Northern California in 1986. 

129 ARRS was redesignated 129 Air Rescue Squadron ARS on 1 October 1989 and following the Loma Prieta Earthquake on 17 October 1989 was tasked to established Command Post operations and coordinate all military aircraft activities within the Bay Area. The Squadron replaced its HH 3 Jolly Green Giants with HH 60G Pave Hawk helicopters in 1991. 

129 ARS was redesignated 129 Rescue Squadron on 16 March 1992 and was gained by the new Air Mobility Command in June 1992 before transfer to Air Combat Command in February 1993 with the reorganization of search and rescue forces. Naval Air Station Moffett Field was renamed Moffett Federal Airfield on 1 July 1994. 

129 Rescue Group was upgraded to Wing status and redesignated 129 Rescue Wing on 1 October 1995. The Squadron deployed assets to Turkey in support of Operation Northern Watch and was undertaking a deployment to Kuwait for Operation Southern Watch at the time of the attacks on the World Trade Centre on 11 September 2001. Squadron and Wing personnel not deployed were called to active duty following the attacks in support of Operations Noble Eagle the military response to Homeland Security providing additional base security and security for the local airports AEROSAFE.  

129 RQS deployed to Incirlik AB Turkey in August 2002 to provide CSAR support to Operation Northern Watch and extended for the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom the invasion of Iraq in March 2003. In 2003 the Wing was reassigned to Air Force Special Operations Command which reorganized ANG rescue units creating separate squadrons for fixed wing helicopter and pararescue elements of the Squadron with HC 130P Hercules flight activated as 130 Rescue Squadron, and the pararescue flight activated as 131 Rescue Squadron while the HH 60 Pave Hawk helicopters were retained by 129 Rescue Squadron.  

The Squadron provides HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter and aircrew with pararescuemen from 131 RQS to Team Hawk of the Counterdrug Task Force detachment to support local law enforcement agencies in the eradication of illegal narcotics and the clean up of national forests damaged by marijuana production. 

The Squadron deployed elements in support of operations in Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa in 2005 at the same time as participating in the rescue efforts in response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Wing was reassigned to Air Combat Command on 3 April 2006. Two 129 RQS HH 60G Pave Hawk helicopters performed water bucket drops during Operation Lightning Strike in response severe wild fires in Northern California in 2008 and then went to the Gulf Coast to perform search and rescue operations during Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. The Squadron deployed elements to southern Afghanistan for CSAR in 2009 and rescued more than 180 operating in combat conditions.

This patch dates from 1978.