304th Rescue Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 304th Rescue Squadron (304 RQS) was most recently part of the 939th Rescue Wing at Portland International Airport
, Oregon
. It operated HH-60 Pave Hawk
aircraft conducting search and rescue
missions.
(CSAR) capability from its inception. It performed search, rescue, and medical evacuation missions primarily in the Northwestern United States
, including over 100 missions immediately following the Mt. St. Helens volcanic eruption
in May 1980. It maintained helicopter air refueling capability from, 1985–1997 and deployed crews to provide SAR coverage worldwide, including to Keflavík
, Iceland
, during and after the Gulf War
and to the Persian Gulf
area from, 1993-. The 304th occasionally provided support for space shuttle
launches and to the United States Air Force Weapons School.
Portland International Airport
Portland International Airport is a joint civil-military airport and the largest airport in the U.S. state of Oregon, accounting for 90% of passenger travel and more than 95% of air cargo of the state. It is located within Portland's city limits just south of the Columbia River in Multnomah...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. It operated HH-60 Pave Hawk
HH-60 Pave Hawk
The Sikorsky MH-60G/HH-60G Pave Hawk is a twin turboshaft engine helicopter in service with the United States Air Force. It is a derivative of the UH-60 Black Hawk and incorporates the US Air Force PAVE electronic systems program...
aircraft conducting search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
missions.
History
The 304th trained for combat search and rescueSearch and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
(CSAR) capability from its inception. It performed search, rescue, and medical evacuation missions primarily in the Northwestern United States
Northwestern United States
The Northwestern United States comprise the northwestern states up to the western Great Plains regions of the United States, and consistently include the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, to which part of southeast Alaska is also sometimes included...
, including over 100 missions immediately following the Mt. St. Helens volcanic eruption
1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens
The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, a stratovolcano located in Washington state, in the United States, was a major volcanic eruption. The eruption was the only significant one to occur in the contiguous 48 U.S. states since the 1915 eruption of Lassen Peak in California...
in May 1980. It maintained helicopter air refueling capability from, 1985–1997 and deployed crews to provide SAR coverage worldwide, including to Keflavík
Keflavík
Keflavík is a town in the Reykjanes region in southwest Iceland. In 2009 its population was of 8,169.In 1995 it merged with Njarðvík and Hafnir to form a municipality called Reykjanesbær with a population of 13,971 .- History :...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, during and after the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
and to the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
area from, 1993-. The 304th occasionally provided support for space shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
launches and to the United States Air Force Weapons School.
Lineage
- 304th Air Rescue Squadron (1957–1966)
- 304th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron (1967–1990)
- 304th Air Rescue Squadron (1990–1992)
- 304th Rescue Squadron (1992–Present)
Assignments
- 2343d Air Reserve Flying Center (1957)
- 2346th Air Reserve Flying Center (1957–1958)
- 2345th Air Reserve Flying Center (1958–1960)
- 4th Air Force (1960)
- 6th Air Force Reserve Region (1960–1969)
- Western Air Force Reserve Region (1969–1976)
- 403d Rescue and Weather Reconnaissance Wing (1976–1985)
- 939th Rescue Wing (1985 - )
Aircraft Operated
- HU-16 AlbatrossHU-16 AlbatrossThe Grumman HU-16 Albatross is a large twin-radial engine amphibious flying boat that was utilized by the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard, primarily as a search and rescue and combat search and rescue aircraft...
(1958–1971) - HH-34 Choctaw (1971–1976)
- HH-1 IroquoisUH-1 IroquoisThe Bell UH-1 Iroquois is a military helicopter powered by a single, turboshaft engine, with a two-bladed main rotor and tail rotor. The helicopter was developed by Bell Helicopter to meet the United States Army's requirement for a medical evacuation and utility helicopter in 1952, and first flew...
(1976–1991) - UH-1 IroquoisUH-1 IroquoisThe Bell UH-1 Iroquois is a military helicopter powered by a single, turboshaft engine, with a two-bladed main rotor and tail rotor. The helicopter was developed by Bell Helicopter to meet the United States Army's requirement for a medical evacuation and utility helicopter in 1952, and first flew...
(1979–1987) - HC-130 Hercules (1985–1997)
- HH-3 Sea King (1986–1992)
- CH-3 Sea King (1987–1992)
- MH-60 Black Hawk (1991–1992)
- UH-60 Black Hawk (1991–1993)
- HH-60 Pave HawkHH-60 Pave HawkThe Sikorsky MH-60G/HH-60G Pave Hawk is a twin turboshaft engine helicopter in service with the United States Air Force. It is a derivative of the UH-60 Black Hawk and incorporates the US Air Force PAVE electronic systems program...
(1992 - )