The 304th Air Rescue Squadron was established on October 24, 1957, and became active in the Reserve on November 16, 1957, stationed at Portland International Airport. At the outset, the squadron comprised four officers, 31 enlisted personnel, and two HU-16A aircraft. The squadron's main focus was on conducting CSAR, search, rescue, and medical evacuation missions, primarily in the north-western United States. The SA-16A aircraft were later replaced by SA-16B's in the first quarter of 1960, which were then redesignated as HU-16B's in July 1963.
The SA-16B Albatross were used by the Squadron. (Photo courtesy of Ron Olsen)
The Squadron underwent several reassignments within a brief timeframe. Initially attached to the 2343rd Air Reserve Flying Centre for administrative and logistical backing starting from November 16, 1957. Following the inactivation of the 2343rd, it was reassigned to the 2346th Air Reserve Flying Centre on December 1, 1957, then to the 2345th Air Reserve Flying Centre on April 8, 1958. Subsequently, it transitioned to the Fourth Air Force on April 8, 1960, and ultimately to the Sixth Air Force Reserve Region on September 1, 1960.
In 1959, the unit was chosen for the Air Reserve Technician Program (ART), resulting in an increase in personnel to 24 officers and 66 airmen as it evolved into an ART Reserve Squadron. Air Reserve Technicians gradually replaced the training cadre of regular Air Force personnel. Throughout the 1960s, base facilities were notably restricted, consisting of wooden structures utilised by operations, command, and maintenance personnel. Maintenance for all Albatross aircraft was conducted on the main ramp due to the absence of hangars.
The 304th Air Rescue Squadron emblem that was approved for Squadron use on August 11, 1961. Most of the features are the same as todays version.
In 1961, the Pararescuemen (PJ's) joined the squadron, as their deployment had been delayed due to the Vietnam conflict. The war had resulted in a shortage of PJ's across all Air Force Reserve squadrons, including the 301st at Homestead AFB, the 302nd in Phoenix, the 303rd at March AFB, and the 305th at Selfridge ANGB. Once again, the PJ's assigned to the 304th operated from an old hut.
In October 1961, reserve units were called to active duty for the Berlin Crisis. During this time, they provided 60-day search and rescue coverage of the North Atlantic from Goose Bay, Labrador, as numerous Air Force squadrons flew overseas.
The squadron was redesignated as the 304th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron on January 18, 1966, and reassigned to the Western Air Force Reserve Region on December 31, 1969.
In June 1971, the 304th underwent another reorganisation, with its HU-16B aircraft being reassigned and replaced by ex-US Navy SH-34J Seabat helicopters. This change posed a challenge for the squadron, as it had fixed-wing pilots and an excess of additional crew suited for the old Albatross. Consequently, all navigator and radio operator positions were eliminated. The transition to rotary-wing aircraft led to the departure of several field-grade officer/pilots who were unable to attend rotary-wing schools due to limited service remaining under the Reserve Office promotion criteria. Many of these personnel had been with the unit since its inception.
The SH-34J helicopters underwent extensive modifications where their Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) equipment was removed to make room for cargo cabins for crew and passengers. These helicopters were then redesignated by the USAF as HH-34J Choctaw. The transition from fixed-wing to rotary-wing aircraft was a monumental undertaking, with the 304th becoming the first unit in the Air Force to convert to stripped-out US Navy aircraft. Remarkably, the entire squadron, including maintenance crew training at Shepard AFB, completed the transition within four months of receiving its last HH-34, with a total of twelve crew capable of operating the Choctaw. The squadron experienced minimal loss of maintenance crew during this transition.
A beautiful picture of a HH-34J Choctaw on the ramp. (Photo courtesy of Ron Olsen)
Early Patch Design
The Squadrons patch was re-designed when the commenced rotary wing operations. Below is a great explanation of the duck patch
comes from Felix McLarney on the Rotorheads website:
This is the first Squadron patch made when the converted to the HH-34. The cartoon is the Squadrons duck (see below).
The
304th ARS had a unique but humorous patch. The patch evolved from various
summer activities of the unit. Felix "Mac" McLarney provide this
humorous story of the evolution of the 304 "Duck" patch. Each summer
camp a half daybreak with softball game or volleyball was scheduled to break
the monotony. Usually, the age-old separation of officers and enlisted
prevailed, and provided some bragging rights for the next year. After a few
years of this winner looser joshing one of the commanders purchased one of those
little inexpensive (I should say cheap) trophies that could be found all over
the place. This one featured a mule (jackass if you will) and was presented by
the winning side to the losers during commander's call at the next training
weekend after the summer camp. It usually was placed near the coffee bar in the
Hq/Ops building. A new commander came on board, and he decided that instead of
presenting the little trophy he would (and did) replace it with a very real and
cantankerous jackass. The losers had to care and feed it which wasn't very
funny after a short time. No one had any acreage or working farm to house it,
or didn't offer such anyway, so it was placed in the fenced area that housed
our personal equipment/parachute shop, and vehicle parking shed. Being alone
was not what this animal wanted so each and every time someone had to go in or
out of the fenced compound they had to deal with an agitated beast.
Fortunately, at this time there were no active duty folks residing on the base
at night as they would have been up in arms with the constant braying
throughout the night. It was a joke our CO felt was amusing, but we never
really understood his personality. Shortly after he left the animal was given
away and all was quiet.
But
not to be outdone, the summer games continued, and someone decided that a duck
would be an appropriate trophy as well as a reminder to the losers who had to
care for it. What happened next was not expected. Instead of the duck being a
losers badge it became the mark of Zoro, or rather I should say its feet became
the mark. As our crews visited other units and bases folks would wake up the
next day to find duck feet images walking across their floors, at one base
clinic they went up one wall, across the ceiling and down the other. At another
they were placed next to the water coolers in a hangar. And to top it off, when
AFRes built us a new ops admin building there were duck feet walking up to the
building cast permanently in the new concrete sidewalk.
The
duck lasted a good deal after I retired and was eventually lost as a hawk was
selected when the unit was placed under a Rescue Wing. No idea what
did happen to the duck, but its loss as a logo is indicative of the lack of
humour at Wing levels. So, while the University of Oregon has a duck for its
team mascot, the 304th duck rose from a much more noble and distinguished
background. You'll note its collar says Huey, which isn't necessarily
creative but certainly appropriate.
The Squadron duck, with the collar named Huey.
The ducks got everywhere where they shouldn't! The top picture is the restricted area around the water tower at Nellis, which mysteriously had ducks feet painted on the side. The next picture is at the entrance of the 304th Operations building, again this time with green ducks feet. (Photo by Dave Wendt, courtesy of Rotorheads)
In January 1974, the squadron initiated a program to replace the HH-34's with HH-1H helicopters, with the first Huey arriving in December 1973 and thirteen more delivered in July 1974. The newer technology resulted in reduced maintenance requirements, leading to a decrease in maintenance personnel while pilot and flight mechanic crews increased.
In 1975, the 304th achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first Reserve rescue unit to participate in the Red Flag exercise at Nellis AFB, Nevada. Additionally, they achieved 100% maintenance reliability.
With the introduction of helicopters to the squadron, their assistance frequency increased, thanks to the versatile nature of helicopters compared to amphibious aircraft. These frequent calls for assistance garnered accolades for the squadron. In the summer of 1977, the Albert P. Loening Trophy was awarded to the squadron, recognising it as the most outstanding ARRS unit in the Air Force Reserve for 1976. The same award was bestowed upon the squadron again in September 1978, acknowledging its selection as the most outstanding Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron in 1977 within the Air Force Reserve. The Loening Trophy is the most prestigious award in Collegiate Aviation, honouring the top program in the United States. It is named after Albert Palmer Loening, an early leader in the aircraft industry known for developing and manufacturing the first successful amphibian aircraft and for his role as a founding stockholder and director of the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, now known as the Grumman Corporation.
In July 1978, the squadron was designated to participate in the Military Assistance to Safety and Traffic (MAST) program, an interagency effort involving the Departments of Transportation, Health and Human Services, and Defence. This program aimed to assist in serious medical emergencies by providing evacuation of accident victims, inter-hospital transfer of patients, or transport of key medical personnel or materials. The program remains operational today with USAF rescue squadrons continuing to participate.
On December 29, 1978, the squadron played a crucial role in the recovery of 163 survivors of United Airlines Flight 173, a DC-8 that crashed near Portland after departing from JFK International. The aircraft had run out of fuel following crew troubleshooting of a landing gear problem.
On March 15, 1976, the squadron was reassigned to the 403rd Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing, which later evolved into the 403rd Rescue and Weather Reconnaissance Wing.
On March 29, 1979, it was publicly disclosed that the 304th would transition to seven UH-IN helicopters, replacing the existing twelve HH-1H helicopters. This conversion would reduce the unit from 121 authorized personnel to 90. The reduction included a loss of fourteen ART/Civilians, as well as a reduction in reserve strength. Plans indicated that the conversion would be completed by October 1, 1979.
However, on June 4, 1979, the helicopter conversion was reversed, and it was announced that the unit would convert to five UH-1Ns and five HH-1Hs at a crew ratio of 1.4, resulting in a loss of three aircrews compared to the previously announced cut. The unit would maintain a military strength of 112, with no reduction in civilian or ART personnel.
The 1980s began on a high note as the squadron provided support for the XIII Winter Olympic Games in Plattsburgh, N.Y., from January 25 to February 25, 1980.
Heres a couple of awesome 304th patches one from the 1980 Winter Olympics and one from the MAST mission. (Photo courtesy of Robert Gray)
Shortly after the excitement from the Olympics had died down at 08:32 AM on May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens, dormant for 125 years, erupted following a magnitude 5.1 earthquake that triggered a massive collapse of the north face of the mountain, resulting in the largest recorded debris avalanche. The 304th was conducting its monthly training sessions when the eruption occurred, and within minutes, the squadron was on hand to provide assistance, being only 52 miles northeast of Portland. On the first day, they rescued 51 people in 31 missions, and within ten days, they had flown 111 missions, saving 61 lives. Other AFRes units involved in the rescue efforts included the 303rd from March AFB and the 305th from Selfridge, along with maintenance personnel from the 129th ARRG of the California Air National Guard.
For their operations with the St. Helens operation, the unit held the largest awards ceremony in Air Force Reserve history on May 16, 1981. During this event, they honoured the men and women involved in the rescue efforts with 75 Air Medals and 15 Air Force Commendation Medals.
In January 1985, the unit acquired six HC-130 Hercules aircraft. These aircraft, an extended-range search and recovery version of the C-130 transport, enhanced the unit's mission and capabilities by providing additional depth and dimension. This was the same year as the Squadron received the Albert P. Loening Trophy for the third time.
On April 8, 1985, the squadron was reassigned to the 939th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group, which subsequently evolved into the 939th Air Rescue Wing and later the 939th Rescue Wing.
In December 1986 two HH-3E Jolly Green Giant helicopters arrived at the Squadron and augmented the UH-1N/H's. The Jolly Green Giants and Hueys would operate with the Squadron until 1992 when they were replaced by the HH-60G Pavehawk. During the time the Squadron operated the Huey the Squadron amassed more than 500 lives saved, a huge achievement for a Reserve Squadron.
The Squadron was redesignated as the 304th Air Rescue Squadron on April 1, 1990.
In February 1991, the 304th initiated its transition from HH-1H and H-3 helicopters to the HH-60G Pave Hawk. The last flight of the H-3 helicopters occurred on June 18, 1991, while the final H-1 flight took place on October 28, 1991. Prior to the arrival of the first unit-assigned Pave Hawk, squadron members trained on loaned MH-60s and UH-60s, with the first of these arriving at the unit on May 1, 1991.
This is the Squadron emblem used today and was approved on October 7, 1991. The use of the green beam from the Hawks eyes refers to the Pavehawk the Squadron use and it also depicts the NVG's of the Pavehawk. Mount St. Helens is also in the picture, which has featured extensively in the Squadrons history. The night sky is also a large part of the Squadrons mission with the star constellation alluding to the navigational skills employed by the crew.
On January 29, 1992, the first unit-assigned HH-60G Pavehawk was flown from Pensacola, Florida, to Portland by a 939th air crew. This crew included the most junior pilot in the unit as the aircraft commander, and the commander of the 304th RQS as the co-pilot. Upon its arrival in Portland, the HH-60G was not fully electronically configured, but it was equipped with an operational hoist, air refuelling probe, weather radar, and two 185-gallon fuel tanks. The last of the unit's nine HH-60s arrived on base in 1994.
King 56
On the Night of November 22, 1996
during a routine training mission King 56 a HC-130H c/n 64-14856 crashed into
the Pacific on a navigational training flight to NAS North Island. Ten of the
eleven crew lost their lives with the radio navigator being rescued.
KING 56 CREW
Lt. Col John W. Keys
Capt. Robert P. Schott
Capt. Kirk A. Wellnitz
Capt. Brant G. Ferrarini
SMSgt. Robert J. Roberts
TSgt. David W. McAuley
SSgt. Marvin H. Forrest
SSgt. Jonathon R. Leonard
SSgt. James R. Johnson
SSgt. Ronald E. Garner Jr.
HC-130H c/n 64-14856.
The Squadron now operated the HH-60G and the HC-130 until 1997 the Hercules was withdrawn and transferred to other units just leaving the 304th with Pavehawks.
It was redesignated as the 304th Rescue Squadron on February 1, 1992 and was then reassigned to the 939th Operations Group on August 1, 1992.
During August to September 1992, personnel from Portland, Oregon, deployed to Florida to support their sister rescue unit, the 301st Rescue Squadron, in providing rescue relief efforts following the devastation caused by Hurricane Andrew in southern Florida on August 24, 1992. The 304th and the 301st were jointly credited with saving 137 lives during these rescue operations.
On February 1, 1993, the unit was assigned to the wartime command of ACC at Langley AFB, Virginia. From June through September 1993 and 1994, members of the 304th deployed in increments to Southwest Asia to relieve active-duty rescue forces stationed there. In November 1993, members of the 304th RQS deployed to Hong Kong to participate in a search and rescue exercise. Additionally, in April, members of the 304th RQS deployed to Bolivia to take part in a deployment for training/nation-building exercise with the Bolivian military. During this deployment, members also delivered food and clothing donated by Oregon's Northwest Medical Teams to the Bolivians.
The Squadron was reassigned to the 920th Operations Group, April 1, 2003 and finally to the 943rd Rescue Group, February 12, 2005.
Astronaut Recovery
The 304th have trained and will be responsible for the for
recovery of astronauts landed in US spacecraft off American shore. For that
mission, the squadron will have 3 teams ready.
During ascent for Starliner, Dragon, and Orion space capsules,
the Squadron will have two teams stationed along the east coast of the United
States, one at Patrick SFB and the other in Charleston. The Patrick team,
Rescue 1, will be responsible for on-pad aborts that place a capsule in the
water or for aborts in the first couple minutes of flight that place the
capsule within a 200 nautical mile zone from the Cape. After that distance is
exceeded, the Charleston crew (Rescue 2) would be responsible for rescue of a
launch-aborting crew vehicle anywhere else across the Atlantic. The third team,
stationed in Hawai’i, (also part of Rescue 2) would be responsible for any
after-launch immediate landing need or off-nominal Station return contingency
that places a Starliner or Dragon in the Pacific. If an off-nominal from orbit
return occurred with splashdown in the Atlantic, an emergency ocean return
within 200 nautical miles of Cape Canaveral would fall to Rescue 1. Any other
Atlantic splashdown would fall to Rescue 2 from Charleston because they have
more powerful aircraft that could reach Starliner or Dragon or Orion quicker
than the Patrick support craft.
920th Rescue Wing crew deploy an
inflatable flotation collar during recovery testing on a mock-up of the Orion
crew exploration vehicle at the Trident Basin at Port Canaveral, Fla., Mar. 8.
The collar is designed both to stabilize the capsule after water landing and
provide a platform for recovery personnel to stand on during the operation.
Orion is targeted to begin carrying humans to the International Space Station
in 2015 and to the moon by 2020. Orion is part of the NASA’s Constellation
Program. Reservists from the 920th provide contingency medical and recovery
support for all NASA shuttle launches. The unit’s primary mission is combat
search and rescue. (USAF Photo/TSgt. Paul Flipse)
Rescue 1 carries a requirement to have a crew en-route back
to land within 6 hours of splashdown. Rescue 2 carries a requirement to have
the hatch on a capsule opened within 24 hours of splashdown and a crew
evacuated (via helicopter or ship) from the sea landing area within 72 hours of
hatch open.
A crewman marshals a HH-60 to its parking location.
(USAF Photo)
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.
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