USAF Patch Rescue c 304 RQS Rescue Squadron HH 60 Pave Hawk

USAF Patch Reserve 304 RQS Rescue Squadron HC 130 Combat King HH 60 Pave Hawk Deployed CSAR 1990s Portland IA Oregon Fully embroidered cut edge 84mm by 80mm three and five sixteenth inches by three and one eighth inches.

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History  

304 Air Rescue Squadron was activated in the Reserve on 16 November 1957 at Portland International Airport Oregon assigned to 2343 Air Reserve Flying Center equipped with SA 16 Albatross amphibious flying boat aircraft to train and maintain combat search and rescue CSAR capability for USAF operations medical evacuation and to support civilian humanitarian and disaster relief primarily in the northwestern United States. The Squadron was reassigned to 2345 Air Reserve Flying Center on 8 April 1958 then to Sixth Air Force Reserve Region on 1 September 1960. 304 ARS added Parachute Jumpers PJs pararescuemen to its establishment in 1961. 

304 ARS was redesignated 304 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron on 18 January 1966 and was reassigned to Western Air Force Reserve Region on 31 December 1969. The Squadron reequipped with HH 34 Choctaw helicopters in 1971 and exchanged them for HH 1 Iroquois Huey helicopters in 1976. 304 ARRS was reassigned to 403 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing on 15 March 1976 which became 403 Rescue and Weather Reconnaissance Wing on 1 January 1977. The Squadron assisted with the rescue and recovery operation following the United Flight 173 crash in Portland on 28 December 1978 and added UH I Hueys to its fleet in 1979. 304 ARRS undertook over 100 missions immediately following the Mount St Helens volcanic eruption in May 1980.   

304 ARRS added HC 130 Hercules Combat King Hercules aircraft to its fleet in 1985 increasing the Squadrons range of operations with its helicopter air refueling capability. The Squadron was reassigned to 939 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group on 8 April 1985 and received HH 3 Jolly Green Giant helicopters in 1986. 304 ARRS retired its UH 1 helicopters retaining its HH 1 Hueys and added CH 3 Jolly Green Giants to its fleet in 1987. 

304 ARRS was redesignated 304 Air Rescue Squadron and 939 ARRG was redesignated 939 Air Rescue Wing on 1 April 1990.  304 ARS began deploying assets worldwide including Keflavík Iceland 1990 and regularly to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait for Operation South Watch. The Squadron retired its last HH 1 Huey helicopters and received MH 60 and UH 60 Blackhawk helicopters in 1991. 304 ARS was redesignated 304 Rescue Squadron RQS on 1 February 1992 with 939 Air Rescue Wing becoming 939 Rescue Wing. The Squadron added HH 60 Pave Hawk helicopters to its fleet and retired its HH 3 and CH 3 Jolly Green Giant and MH 60 Blackhawk helicopters in 1992.  

The Squadron deployed to Florida to provide assistance following Hurricane Andrew in August 1992 and deployed assets to support space shuttle launches and to the USAF Fighter Weapons School. 304 RQS retired its last UH 60 Black Hawk in 1993 leaving it operational with its fixed wing HC 130 Combat King Hercules aircraft and HH 60 Pave Hawk helicopters. Expeditionary deployments increased with Combat Search and Rescue CSAR detachments to Iraq with the transition from Operation Southern Watch to Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2002 and to Afghanistan and Djibouti Horn of Africa with Operation Enduring Freedom. 

The Squadron was reassigned to 920 Operations Group on 1 April 2003 becoming a Geographically Separated Unit GSU from its parent at Patrick AFB Florida. 304 RQS was assigned the specialist role of training equipping and deploying Combat Rescue Officers Pararescuemen PJs and support personnel worldwide to operate on board helicopters and aircraft other Squadrons. 304 Rescue Squadron was reassigned to 943 Rescue Group based at Davis Monthan AFB Arizona on 12 February 2005 remaining a GSU and continues to regularly deploy to Afghanistan and Djibouti Horn of Africa to support Operation Enduring Freedom. 

This patch dates from 1990s.