38th Rescue Squadron

38th Rescue Squadron
38th Rescue Squadron Patch
Active	14 November 1952 - 18 September 1957 30 June 1965 - 1 July 1971 1 July 1978 - 15 February 1996 1 May 2001 - Present
Land	Vereinigte Staaten
Branch	United States Air Force
Typ	Search and Rescue
Part of	Air Combat Command 23d Air Force 347th Rescue Group
Garrison/HQ	Moody Air Force Base
Decorations	DUC PUC AFOUA w/ V Device ROK PUC RVGC w/ Palm

The 38th Rescue Squadron (38 RQS) is part of the 347th Rescue Group at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. It operates various fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft conducting search and rescue missions.

Mission

The 38 RQS trains, equips, and employs combat-ready pararescue and supporting personnel worldwide in support of U.S. national security interests and NASA. This squadron provides survivor contact, treatment, and extraction during combat rescue operations, and uses various fixed/rotary wing insertion/extraction assets and employs by any means available to provide combat and humanitarian search, rescue, and medical assistance in all environments.

History

The 38th conducted search, rescue, and recovery in Japan and adjacent waters from 1952-1957 including supporting operations in Korea and adjacent waters from 1952-1953. It operated 14 search and rescue detachments in Vietnam and Thailand from, 1965-1971. The squadron provided light-lift helicopter operations east of the Mississippi River from 1978-1980. It also flew rescue helicopter operations in South Korea and adjacent waters from 1981-1995.

Operations

• Korean War

Vietnam War

• 20 September 1965, Kaman HH-43 Huskie BuNo 62-4510, callsign Dutchy 41 on a CSAR for Essex 04, an F-105D piloted by Capt Willis E. Forby, over North Vietnam. The HH-43 was hit by ground fire and crashed in the jungle. Captain Thomas J. Curtis, Sergeant William A. Robinson, and Crew chief Arthur Black were all captured by the North Vietnamese Army and taken to a POW camp in North Vietnam. They were later released during Operation Homecoming. 1LT Duane W. Martin, was captured by the Pathet Lao and taken to a POW camp in Laos. On June 29, 1966, Martin, LTJG Dieter Dengler and other prisoners overpowered their guards and escaped. Martin was later attacked and killed by a Laotian villager, while Dengler was eventually rescued.
• 6 November 1965, CH-3E BuNo 63-9685 on CSAR for CAPT McKnight pilot of Sandy 14 an A-1E over North Vietnam was hit by ground fire. 3 of the crew became POWs while the 4th crewman was rescued. This was the first Jolly Green loss in combat.
• 11 April 1966, an HH-43 of Detachment 6 based at Bien Hoa Air Base was called to medevac wounded of the Army's 1st Infantry Division which were surrounded by enemy forces near Cam My, east of Saigon. Pararescueman A1C William H. Pitsenbarger was lowered by winch and spent an hour and a half, treating the wounded and evacuating nine wounded soldiers on 5 different Huskie flights. On the sixth attempt, Pitsenbarger's Huskie was hit hard, forced to cut the hoist line, and pull out for an emergency landing at the nearest strip. Pitsenbarger continued to treat the wounded, collected rifles and ammunition from the dead and distributed them to the men still able to fight and returned enemy fire before being fatally hit. Pitsenbarger was posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross. On 8 December 2000 Pitsenbarger was also awarded the Medal of Honour.
• 28 October 1966, HH-43 BuNo 62-4511 callsign Pedro 42 was medevacing wounded of the 4th Infantry Division at night 60km west of Pleiku Air Base when it was hit by ground fire and crashed. The Flight Engineer and 3 soldiers were killed in the crash, while the copilot later died from injuries.
• 6 February 1967, Jolly Green 05, HH-3E BuNo 65-12779 was hit by ground fire while flying CSAR for Nail 65 over North Vietnam. The pilot, copilot and flight engineer were KIA"COL Richard A Kibbey". The Virtual Wall.</ref></ref>"CMS Donald J Hall". The Virtual Wall.</ref>.

• 
  A1C William Pitsenbarger in front of an HH-43 Huskie

Lineage

• 38th Air Rescue Squadron (1952 - 1966)
• 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron (1966 - 1989)
• 38th Air Rescue Squadron (1989 - 1994)
• 38th Rescue Flight (1994 - 2001)
• 38th Rescue Squadron (2001 - Present)

Assignments

• 3d Air Rescue Group (1952 - 1957)
  • Attached: HQ Far East Air Forces (14 November 1952 - 1 July 1954)
  • Attached: Japan Air Defense Force (1 July - 1 August 1954)
  • Attached: Pacific Air Forces (1 August 1954 - c. 18 September 1957)
• 2d Air Rescue Group (1957)
• Military Air Transport Service (1965)
• Air Rescue Service (1965 - 1966)
  • Attached: 2d Air Division (1 July 1965 - c. 7 January 1966)

• 3d Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group (1966 - 1971)
• 39th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing (1978 - 1981)
• 41st Rescue and Weather Reconnaissance Wing (1981 - 1989)
• Air Rescue Service (1989 - 1993)
• 51st Fighter Wing (1993 - 1996)
• 347th Rescue Group (2001 - Present)

Bases stationed

• Misawa Air Base, Japan (1952 - 1957)
• Tan Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam (1965 - 1971)
• Homestead Air Force Base, Florida (1978 - 1981)
• Osan Air Base, South Korea (1981 - 1996)
• Moody Air Force Base, Georgia (2001 - Present)

Aircraft Operated

• SA-16 Albatross (1952 - 1957)
• H-5 Dragonfly (1953)
• H/SH-19 Chickasaw (1954 - 1957)
• CH/HH-3 (1965 - 1966)
• HH-43 Huskie (1965 - 1971)
• UH-1 Iroquois (1978 - 1980)
• CH-3 (1979 - 1980, 1981 - 1990)
• HH-60 Pave Hawk (1990 - 1995)

References

Bibliography

• USAF 38th Rescue Squadron History
• 347th Rescue Group Fact Sheet