The 26th ERQS were a "rainbow" unit formed for the Operations in Afghanistan. A rainbow unit takes crew from all Squadrons & sections of the USAF, this being active duty, Air Reserve & National Guard.
26th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron
Operation ENDURING FREEDOM
Camp Bastion, Afghanistan
Desert subdued
c.2010
The Squadron was active with this patch while based at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan with
HH-60G's from Feb 2009 for Operation ENDURING FREEDOM until it was inactivated on the 1 Jan 2014. Squadrons from around the USAF deployed crews to serve with the squadron from regular, AFRes & Air National Guard Squadrons with the Squadron being defined as a Rainbow Squadron because it has crews from all different units. The patch was computer manufactured in the US, as a lot of the Squadrons that deployed were from the US & dates to c.2010.
This patch is manufactured in the US & is partially embroidered on twill with a merrowed edge, is backed with hook & loop, with the giant in Dexter.
A HH-60 assigned to the 26th ERQS flies low level on a mission in Afghanistan.
(US National Archives photo/SSgt. James L. Harper Jr.)
26th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron
Operation ENDURING FREEDOM
Flight Medic
Camp Bastion, Afghanistan
Desert Subdued
c.2010
This patch was probably theatre made in Kandahar c. 2010 for the 26th ERQS flight medics, & came off a crewman who was assigned to the 26th ERQS. Medics were carried on Pavehawks in Afghanistan, & provided in flight medical assistance to coalition forces as well as civilians during Operation ENDURING FREEDOM which commenced in 2001 and ended in 2014.
The Squadron was incredibly busy & successful as during its time in Afghanistan it saved more than 2,400 lives & assisted with 3,300 more, with never having more than four HH-60G Pavehawks.
Thousands of troops and civilian owe their lives to the professionalism, skill & courage of the Jolly Green Giant crews and the medics.
The patch is partially embroidered on twill & has a schiffli cut edge, backed with hook & loop, with the giant in Dexter.
The crew carry out pre flight inspections prior to a launch in 2013.
(USAF Photo/Senior Airman Scott Saldukas)
26th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron
Combat King II
Southwest Asia
Desert Subdued
2022
From the 1 September 2015 the Squadron was activated in Southwest Asia assigned to the 1st ERQG, & this is where this patch comes in. Manufactured in 2022 when the Squadron was operating HC-130J's as the shield shows the Combat Knight. A similar patch was made by crews who were assigned to the 34th WPS & takes the design of the Jolly Green Giant shield & adds a twist with the Knight instead of the Giant.
Fully embroidered with a merrowed edge, backed with hook & loop & the knight replacing the Jolly Green Giant.
An HH-60G Pave Hawk provides security for an HC-130J Super Hercules assigned to the 26th Rescue Squadron while simulated survivors are loaded after a training scenario during a combat search and rescue exercise in Iraq, July 15, 2018. The HC-130J replaced HC-130P/Ns as the only dedicated fixed-wing personnel recovery platform in the Air Force inventory. Its mission is to rapidly deploy to execute combatant commander directed recovery operations to austere airfields and denied territory for expeditionary, all weather personnel recovery operations to include airdrop, air-land, helicopter air-to-air refuelling, and forward area ground refuelling missions. Battlefield Airmen assigned throughout the combined joint operational area conduct operations in support of Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve. CJTF- OIR aims to enable and equip local forces to take ISIS head on while leveraging Coalition nation airpower to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
(USAF Photo/ SSgt Keith James)
If you have any additional information about this patch or anything to add, for example, photos or stories, please contact me at
usafjollygreen@gmail.com
I will get back to you.
Thanks👣
No comments:
Post a Comment