USAF / 56th ARRS / HH-3 / Jolly Green Patch

 56th Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Squadron

NAS Keflavik, Iceland

Full Colour

May 1988-Jun 1989

This patch was only around for 13 months as the 56th ARRS was reactivated at Keflavik, Iceland, on the 1 May 1988 only to be redesignated as the 56th ARS on the 1 Jun 1989. It was made in the far east, probably Korea. The 56th was originally Det. 14 of the 67th ARRS. The newspaper clipping below details the change.

This is a very difficult patch to find as it was around for such a short time with a small Squadron only operating three HH-3E's.

Partly embroidered on twill with a schiffli edge with the Giant in Dexter.

A newspaper clipping shows the news that the Detachment is gaining Squadron status. The editor needs to take a look at the headline though, as its the 56th not the 65th!

1994 Outstanding Airmanship Award & the 1994  Mackay Trophy winners

For extraordinary heroism and self-sacrifice during the rescue of six Icelandic sailors who were stranded when their ship foundered in heavy seas and strong winds.

On Jan. 10, 1994, members of the 56th Rescue Squadron, then located at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, executed a mission in extreme weather against the odds to rescue the crew of the Godinn, stranded just off the coast of Vodvlavik, Iceland.

The Squadron was scheduled to fly a pair of Pavehawks on a training mission, however bad weather postponed the flight.

Knowing that they could get the call to action at any moment the two Pave Hawk crews took Air Force pararescuemen and a doctor along on the training mission and headed east.

After take off the weather conditions worsened & the crew said "It was like flying inside a ping-pong ball because everything we saw was white. That's all we could see."

Because the original training mission was to practice refueling, the HH-60 pilots were given confidence knowing the HC-130 Combat King could fly ahead to check weather conditions.

While enroute to the scene, the pilots received word that the Icelandic rescue forces had to turn back due to the extreme weather conditions. Shortly after that, the HC-130 reported a dangerous in-flight emergency -- a wing overheat -- and had to abort the mission, leaving the Pave Hawks on their own.

The crew didn't know that the ship had already sunk and that six crew members were tied to the top of the wheel house and that one crew member had already perished and washed up on shore.

They called the Rescue centre to say the weather was too bad, but after hearing the news about the ship & crew they pushed on desperate to save the remaining six crew.

Enroute the severe weather caused a downdraft caught them by surprise causing their Pavehawk to fall from 200ft to 45ft in a matter of seconds.

Once the team arrived at the Godinn, they began making trips to and from shore, ferrying the boat's crew to rescue teams waiting on snowmobiles. With 70-knot winds on the nose of the HH-60s the pilots were not able to turn with patients so they backed up to the coastline, maintaining their heading.

The weather was so challenging that some of the rescued crew were dunked into the sea again while on the winch, something they could laugh about after the mission.

With the last two crewmembers and doctor on board, the pilots began looking for the closest possible hospital. With terrible winds and weather conditions, they headed toward familiar territory in Neskaupstadur.

Because the aircraft commander, then Lt. Col. and squadron commander Jim Sills, had forgotten his night vision goggle mounts, Copsey took the controls as pilot. However, when Copsey experienced vertigo, the two had to fly together. Sills held the controls in one hand and goggles in the other while Copsey controlled the altitude with his head between his knees to regain orientation.

Once the crew arrived in Neskaupstadur, they landed at the first possible chance. Both HH-60s landed in a small lot, leaving only about six feet between their rotors.

The rescue was hails as one of the most honored in U.S. Air Force history.

  Crew of Air Force Rescue 206
     Capt John W. Blumentritt-1994 Aviator Valor Award
     Capt Gary W. Henderson
     SRA Jeffrey M. Frembling
     SSGT Matthew A. Wells-1994 Cheney Award
     SRA Jesse W. Goerz-1994 Cheney Award

  Crew of Air Force Rescue 208
     Lt Col James A. Sills -1994 Jabara Award for Airmanship;
     Lt Col Gary L. Copsey
     Lt Richard E. Assaf
     TSgt Gregory M. Reed
     SR William R. Payne

Click here to the link from the USAFE website.

If you have any additional information about this patch please contact me & I´ll get back to you.

Thanks👣