USAF Patch Rescue c 332 ERQS Expeditionary Rescue Squadron CSAR Iraq

USAF Patch 332 ERQS Expeditionary Rescue Squadron CSAR HH 60 HC 130 Pararescue 2006 Ballad AB Iraq Velcro Embroidered on twill cut edge 101mm by 68mm four inches by two and eleven sixteenth inches.

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History  

332 Air Expeditionary Group The Tip of the Spear was activated at Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base Kuwait on 1 December 1998 under Air Combat Command on the inactivation of 4406 Operations Group Provisional to support Joint Task Force Southwest Asia which policed the 32 parallel no fly zone over Iraq under Operation Southern Watch with a forward located consolidated Expeditionary Aerospace Force of rotationally deployed TDY active duty Air National Guard and Reserve F 16 Fighting Falcons and A 10 Thunderbolt II Fighter Squadrons and supporting units including 332 Expeditionary Rescue Squadron rotated from Air National Guard and Reserve units providing Combat Search and Rescue CSAR with HH 60 Pave Hawk helicopters HC 130 Hercules aircraft and Pararescuemen PJs. 332 AEGs Commander and ten staff personnel are retained on a one year tour to provide continuity while all other personnel rotate every 90 days. 

In addition to the Operation Southern Watch Combat Air Patrols CAPS 332 AEG provided CAPs and Close Air Support ground attack with its F 16 and A 10 fighter aircraft for the initial phase of Operation Enduring Freedom the invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001 following the attack on the Twin Towers New York on 11 September 2001. The Groups aircraft played a critical role in the defeat of the Taliban and later provided key air support for the provisional government in Afghanistan. 

332 Air Expeditionary Group was expanded to a Wing and activated as 332 Air Expeditionary Wing as a provisional organization on 12 August 2002 by ACC with 332 AEG as the Wings flying organization and newly activated 332 Expeditionary Maintenance Group 332 Expeditionary Mission Support Group 332 Expeditionary Medical Group and 332 Expeditionary Security Forces Group to organize support.  

After participating in the initial phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom OIF the invasion of Iraq in March 2003 the Wing expanded to contain nine groups with geographically separated groups including 447 Air Expeditionary Group at Sather AB at Bagdad International Airport in April 2003 with 304 101 Expeditionary Rescue Squadron and 20 Special Operations Squadron 407 Air Expeditionary Group at Tallil Air Base Iraq with 332 Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and 332 Expeditionary Rescue Squadron both rotated from Air National Guard and Reserve units on 13 April 2003 506 Air Expeditionary Group at Kirkuk AB Iraq with 107 Fighter Squadron on 22 April 2003. 332 AEW also controlled numerous detachments and operating locations scattered throughout Iraq. 

332 Air Expeditionary Wing relocated from Ahmed Al Jaber AB Kuwait to Tallil Air Base Iraq on August 2003 and before moving to Balad AB Iraq in February 2004 as a better location to control its detached airpower concentrations around Iraq. The Wings 332 Expeditionary Fighter Squadron operated Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command F 16 aircraft responsible for maintaining air supremacy over Iraq the 22 Expeditionary Fighter Squadron operated A 10 and F 16CM Suppression of Enemy Air Defence SEAD aircraft performed close air support for US and Coalition ground units the 64 Expeditionary Rescue Squadron rotated from active duty units HH 60 Pave Hawks performed combat search and rescue missions and the 777 Expeditionary Airlift Squadron C 130 Hercules unit provided airlift within Iraq and to other US Central Command bases as necessary. 727 Expeditionary Air Control Squadron call sign Kingpin was the primary tactical command and control agency for Iraq providing persistent surveillance identification and control of aircraft in Iraqi airspace. The Wings 46 Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron operated MQ 1 Predators provided tactical surveillance and reconnaissance within Iraq. The Wing activated 732 Air Expeditionary Group which provided oversight for USAF personnel operationally assigned to US Army units at over 60 forward operating locations throughout Iraq on 14 January 2004. Additionally the Wing operated the USAF Theater Hospital and served as the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility. 

Balad AB was officially renamed Joint Base Balad in June 2008 to reflect the joint nature of operations by all branches of service at the base.  

During the drawdown of US and Coalition forces from Iraq 332 AEW provided intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance combat search and rescue armed overwatch and close air support to one of the largest logistics movements since World War II. The Wing continued to support US Forces Iraq after forward deploying to an undisclosed air base in Southwest Asia in November 2011 and Joint Base Balad was returned to the government of Iraq when the last US convoy left Iraq on 18 December 2011 the Wings F 16s and MQ 1B Predators were in the skies providing overhead watch. 332 AEW was inactivated on 8 May 2012. 

332 Air Expeditionary Group was reactivated at Ahmed Al Jaber AB Kuwait on 16 November 2014 to undertake reconnaissance and close air support operations under the Military intervention against ISIL operating over Iraq and Syria. The Wings Expeditionary Fighter Squadron carried out CAS missions in support of forces fighting ISIL the 64 Expeditionary Rescue Squadron rotated from active duty units HH 60 Pave Hawks provided combat search and rescue cover with 46 Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron operating MQ 1 Predators provided tactical surveillance and reconnaissance within Iraq joined by 362 Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron equipped with MC 12W Liberty aircraft from June 2016. 

332 Expeditionary Rescue Squadron rotated from Air National Guard and Reserve units providing Combat Search and Rescue CSAR with HH 60 Pave Hawk helicopters operated from Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base Kuwait from 1 December 1998 under 332 Air Expeditionary Group and relocated to Tallil Air Base Iraq on 13 April 2003 under 332 Air Expeditionary Wings 407 Air Expeditionary Group continuing to undertake combat search and rescue operations withdrawal from Iraq in December 2011.  

This patch dates from 2006.