USAF Patch ANG c 106 w ERQS Expeditionary Rescue Squadron Turkey

USAF Patch ANG 106 ERQS Expeditionary Rescue Squadron CSAR Pararescue Feet 4 Toes Operation Northern Watch 2000 Incirlik AB Turkey HH 60 Pave Hawk HC 130 Combat King Embroidered on twill cut edge 97mm three and thirteen sixteenth inches diameter.

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History

New York Air National Guard 106 Fighter Interceptor Group was converted from air defence to a search and rescue role on its redesignation to 106 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group at Suffolk County Air National Guard Base Long Island New York on 3 May 1975 when Aerospace Defense Command was reducing the USAF interceptor force as the threat of Soviet Bombers attacking the United States was deemed remote with the Groups gaining Command going from ADC to Military Airlift Command MAC on 14 June 1975. 106 ARRG flying Squadron 102 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron was equipped with HH 3E Jolly Green Giant helicopters and HC 130P Hercules for SAR command and inflight refuelling for the helicopters to provide long range over sea search and rescue for USAF operations and civilian humanitarian requirements in the northeastern United States and Atlantic coast south to the Bahama Islands and east to the Azores. 106 ARRG was also tasked by the New Hampshire Fish and Wildlife Service with conducting extensive mountain search support.

106 ARRG was designated to provide the Airborne Mission Commander AIRBOSS for every for every Space Shuttle launch following the Challenger mid air explosion in 1986 and deploys pararescuemen on board HC 130s for deployment in the event of a Mode VIII event. Pararescue Jumpers have been deployed to overseas locations during the Space Shuttle launches to provide support to USAF operations. The Group added HC 130N Combat King Hercules aircraft to its fleet in 1988 and 106 ARRG was redesignated 106 Air Rescue Group ARG on 1 October 1989. 106 ARG exchanged its HH 3E Jolly Green Giant helicopters for HH 60G Pave Hawk helicopters in 1990 which increased the long range over sea rescue capability of the Group.

106 ARG began regular deployments of personnel and aircraft to Incirlik AB Turkey to provide Combat Search and Rescue CSAR support for USAF and Coalition missions for Operation Provide Comfort in Northern Iraq in 1991 following Operation Desert Storm. During the major Perfect Storm in October 1991 a Pave Hawk with a Hercules tanker flew to an endangered sailboat in the Atlantic about 250 miles south and dropped survival equipment to the occupants. The helicopter was unable to refuel in the severe weather and ditched with the loss of one pararescueman PJ. The Groups base Suffolk County ANGB was renamed Francis S Gabreski Air National Guard Base New York in 1991 an Ace of World War II and the Korean War.

106 ARG was redesignated 106 Rescue Group RQG on 16 March 1992 and was gained by Air Combat Command on 1 June 1992. 106 ARG began regular deployments of personnel and aircraft to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia for CSAR to support Operation Southern Watch in 1992.

In December 1994 two HH 60 and supporting HC 130 tanker carried out the longest over water rescue with a helicopter initially flying to Halifax Nova Scotia then 750 miles out over the Atlantic Ocean to rescue survivors of the Ukrainian cargo ship Salvador Allende locating and rescuing the last survivor in 15 hour mission refuelled in flight ten times.

106 Air Rescue Group assisted with the response to the Sunrise Wildfires in the Hamptons in August and September 1995. 106 RQG was redesignated 106 Rescue Wing RQW on 1 October 1995 and assets deployed on Operation Northern and Southern Watch designated as 106 Expeditionary Rescue Squadron ERQS.

106 RQW Pave Hawks were first on the scene of the crash of TWA Flight 800 in the Atlantic off Long Island on 17 July 1996 and assisted with recovery efforts. The Wings deployments to Incirlik AB Turkey continued under Operation Northern Watch from 1 January 1997.

106 RQW search for and located the transponder aircraft flown by John F Kennedy Jr which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in 16 July 1999. 106 Rescue Wing the first ANG personnel on scene at World Trade Center following the attack on 11 September 2001.

The Wing deployed elements to Incirlik AB Turkey in March 2002 as 106 Expeditionary Rescue Squadron ERQS for Operation Northern Watch before ONW and Operation Southern Watch in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia ceased in March 2003 with the successful invasion of Iraq and the Wing began regular expeditionary deployment to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom OIF. 106 RQW was gained by Air Force Special Operations Command on 1 October 2003. The Wing made its first combat rescue CSAR on 2 November 2003 extracting two injured soldiers trapped in the burning wreckage of an Army CH 47 Chinook helicopter shot down near Fallujah. Regular deployments to Afghanistan commenced to support Operation Enduring Freedom.

Air Force Special Operations Command reorganized its Air National Guard rescue Wings to establish separate Squadrons for fixed wing aircraft helicopter and pararescue personnel in 2004 and 106 RQS activated 101 Rescue Squadron for the HH 60P Pave Hawk helicopters and 103 Rescue Squadron for its pararescue personnel with 102 Rescue Squadron retaining the HC 130 P and HC 130N Combat King Hercules aircraft. Wing deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan were no longer made as 106 ERQS but were named Expeditionary with the new Squadron numbering unless assigned to an ERQS already in Theatre.

This patch dates from 2000.