USAF Patch Rescue c 301 a ARS Air Rescue Squadron CSAR a

USAF Patch Reserve 301 ARS Air Rescue Squadron CSAR SA 16 Albatross Amphibious Flying Boat 1965 Homestead AFB Florida Fully embroidered cut edge 101mm by 92mm four inches by three and five eighth inches.

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History

301 Air Rescue Squadron was activated in the Reserve on 18 August 1956 at Miami International Airport Florida assigned to 2585 Air Reserve Flying Training Center equipped with SA 16 Albatross amphibious flying boats to provide search and rescue SAR and medical evacuation for USAF operations and training for Combat Search and Rescue CSAR and search rescue and humanitarian disaster support to civilian populations over land areas and waters around Florida. 301 ARS was the USAFs first reserve Rescue Squadron and carried out the first Air Force Reserve rescue in January 1957. 301 ARS was reassigned to 2586 Air Reserve Flying Training Center on 18 June 1958 then to Fourteenth Air Force on 25 June 1960 and then to Third Air Force Reserve Region on 15 July 1960.

301 ARS relocated to Homestead AFB Florida on 1 August 1960 and the Squadron began supporting NASAs manned space flight rescue contingency operations with Freedom 7 the first manned Project Mercury launch in 1961 continuing through the various programmes.

301 ARS was redesignated 301 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron on 18 January 1966. The Squadron added HH 34 Choctaw helicopters to its fleet in 1971 and was reassigned to Western Air Force Reserve Region on 1 January 1972. 301 ARRS retired its SA 16 Albatross amphibious flying boats and added HH 1 Iroquois Huey helicopters in 1973. CH 3E Jolly Green Giant helicopters were received in 1974 with the HH 34 Choctaw helicopters retired in 1975. The Squadron was reassigned to 403 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing on 15 March 1976 which was redesignated to 403 Rescue and Weather Reconnaissance Wing on 1 January 1977.

301 ARRS added HC 130 Combat King Hercules adding additional search and command capabilities and in flight refueling for its helicopters for extended range for over water Atlantic and Caribbean operations and retired its HH 1 Huey helicopters in 1979. The Squadron began providing search and rescue support for Space Shuttle launches in 1981 and added HH 3E Jolly Green Giant to its fleet in 1987. 301 ARRS was reassigned to 939 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group on 1 October 1987.

301 ARRS was redesignated 301 Air Rescue Squadron and 939 ARRS was redesignated 939 Air Rescue Wing on 1 April 1990. The Squadron began regular deployments to Keflavik Iceland in 1990 for NATO operations in support of 56 Air Rescue Squadron and replaced its CH 3E and HH 3E helicopters with HH 60 Pave Hawk helicopters in 1991. The Wing and the Squadron were fully integrated into the USAF Air Expeditionary Force AEF concept and began deploying assets worldwide as required on an Expeditionary basis initially to Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Storm.

301 ARS was redesignated 301 Rescue Squadron RQS on 1 February 1992. Homestead AFB suffered considerable damage and left nonoperational by Hurricane Andrew in August 1992 and the Squadron had evacuated to Patrick AFB Florida prior to the hurricane and operated from Tamiami Airport Florida and immediately commenced search and rescue and humanitarian operations rescuing 137 South Florida residents over 18 days. The Squadron remained at Patrick AFB as a permanent relocation in January 1993. Expeditionary deployments continued for Operation Southern Watch and rescued 93 elderly residents from rising flood waters at their Tampa area retirement community on 13 March 1993. 301 RQS began providing support during missile launches at the Eastern Test Range Florida.

The Squadron was reassigned from 939 Rescue Wing to its newly formed 920 Rescue Group on 15 April 1997 and the 301 RQS HC 130P Combat King Hercules flight was activated as 39 Rescue Squadron with the Combat Rescue Officers CROs and Pararescuemen PJs activated as 308 Rescue Squadron while the HH 60 Pave Hawk helicopters were retained by 301 Rescue Squadron. Expeditionary deployments increased with Combat Search and Rescue CSAR detachments to Iraq with the transition from Operation Southern Watch to Operation Iraqi Freedom and to Afghanistan and Djibouti Horn of Africa with Operation Enduring Freedom.

939 Rescue Wing transitioned to 939 Air Refueling Wing converting to KC 135 Statotankers and on 1 April 2003 divested itself of the rescue mission when its 920 Rescue Group was upgraded to Wing status as 920 Rescue Wing RQW and became the parent unit for all combat search and rescue organizations in the Air Force Reserve Command. 920 RQWs Regular Air Force gaining command was reassigned from Air Combat Command ACC to Air Force Special Operations Command AFSOC in 2004. Within 48 hours of their return from Expeditionary deployment to Djibouti 2005 Squadron personnel were providing extensive rescue and humanitarian support along the US Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina on 29 August 2005. 920 RQWs Regular Air Force gaining command was returned from AFSOC to Air Combat Command in 2006.

The Squadron with 39 RQS HC 130 Combat Kings and 308 RQSs Pararescuemen undertook major civilian rescue operations along the Gulf Coast in response to Hurricane Hannah on 5 September 2008 and Hurricane Ike on 13 September 2008 stretching from Texas through Louisiana and Mississippi.

This patch dates from 1965.