56th Rescue Squadron

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 56th Rescue Squadron


caption= 56th Rescue Squadron Patch
dates= 14 November 1952 - 18 March 1960
8 July 1972 - 15 October 1975
1 May 1988 - Present
country= United States
allegiance=
branch=United States Air Force
type= Search and Rescue
role=
size=
command_structure= United States Air Forces in Europe
3d Air Force
48th Fighter Wing
48th Operations Group
current_commander=
garrison= RAF Lakenheath
ceremonial_chief=
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nickname=
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The 56th Rescue Squadron (56 RQS) is part of the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, England. It operates HH-60 Pave Hawk aircraft conducting search and rescue missions.

Mission

History

The 56th flew search and rescue, and medical evacuation, in North Africa and southern Europe from, November 1952-March 1960. It flew combat missions in Southeast Asia from, 10 July 1972 - 15 August 1973, to include search and rescue, airborne mission control, and aerial refueling. The squadron continued to perform local search and rescue until February 1975. It flew search and rescue support to the Iceland Defense Force from, May 1988-September 2006. [http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/rso/squadrons_flights_pages/0056rqs.html AFHRA 56 RQS Page] ]

=Operations=

*Vietnam War

=Lineage=

*56th Air Rescue Squadron (1952 - 1962)
*56th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron (1962 - 1989)
*56th Air Rescue Squadron (1989 - 1993)
*56th Rescue Squadron (1993 - Present)

=Assignments=

*7th Air Rescue Group (1952 - 1956)
**Attached: 5th Air Division (14 November 1952 - 28 February 1953)
*12th Air Rescue Group (1956 - 1958)
*Air Rescue Service (1958 - 1960)
**Attached: Detachment 3, 8th Air Rescue Group (European Rescue Operations Center) (18 February 1958 - 18 March 1959)
**Attached: Detachment 3, Air Rescue Service (European Recovery Operations Center) (18 March 1959 - 18 March 1960)
*3d Aerospace rescue and Recovery Group (1972)
*41st Rescue and Weather Reconnaissance Wing (1972 - 1975)
**Attached: 3d Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group (20 August 1972 - 15 October 1975)
*39th Special Operations Wing (1988 - 1989)
*41st Rescue and Weather Reconnaissance Wing (1989)
*Air Rescue Service (1989 - 1993)
*Air Forces Iceland (1993)
*35th Wing (1993 - 1994)
*85th Group (1994 - 2006)
*48th Fighter Wing (2006 - Present)

=Bases stationed=

*Sidi Slimane, French Morocco (1952 - 1960)
*Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand (1972 - 1975)
*Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland (1988 - 2006)
*RAF Lakenheath, England (2006 - Present)

=Aircraft Operated=

*H-5 Dragonfly (1952 - 1953)
*SA-16 Albatross (1952 - 1960)
*SC-47 (1953 - 1956)
*SH-19 Chickasaw (1953 - 1960)
*HC-130 Hercules (1972 - 1975)
*HH-43 Huskie (1972 - 1975)
*HH-3 (1988 - 1992)
*HH-60 Pave Hawk (1992 - Present)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* [http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/rso/squadrons_flights_pages/0056rqs.html USAF 56th Rescue Squadron History]
* [http://www.lakenheath.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=4212 48th Operations Group Fact Sheet]
* [http://www.lakenheath.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123067590 56th Rescue Squadron Move News Story]

Also See