CONUS BASED LOCAL BASE RESCUE (LBR)
UNITS
A survey, compiled by Johan Ragay, based on USAF documents filed in the AFHRA, Maxwell AFB, AL
period 1961-1970 : AIR
RESCUE SERVICE /
(as of 08 January 1966 :) AEROSPACE RESCUE &
RECOVERY SERVICE
| WESTERN Air Rescue Center / Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Center | Hamilton AFB, CA |
| CENTRAL Air Rescue Center / Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Center | Richards-Gebaur AFB, MO |
| EASTERN Air Rescue Center / Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Center | Robins AFB, GA |
period 1970-1973
(the H-43 assignment timeframe) : 39th Aerospace Rescue &
Recovery Wing
| 42nd Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Squadron (42 ARRS) | Hamilton AFB, CA |
| 43rd Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Squadron (43 ARRS) | Richards-Gebaur AFB, MO |
| 44th Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Squadron (44 ARRS) | Robins AFB, GA / Eglin AFB, FL |
Local Base Rescue (LBR) was accomplished by Air Rescue Service (ARS) during 1961.
Air Rescue Service was assigned LBR and the National SAR Plan in December 1960.
The implementing plan specified the transfer date of the Inland SAR function to ARS from CONAC as
01 February 1961.
On 16 February 1961 the CONAC RCC's at Robins AFB, GA ; Hensley NAS, Dallas, TX
and Hamilton AFB, CA
were
renamed EASTERN, CENTRAL and WESTERN Air Rescue Center, respectively.
The RCC's at Mitchel AFB, NY and Selfridge AFB, MI were discontrinued on the same date.
MATS Special Order G-52 dated 18 May 1961 : The Air Rescue Service detachments are designated and organized
at
locations , effective 01 October 1961.
The LBR function was to be transferred from
individual commands to
ARS as soon as possible, but not later than
01
October 1961.
A maximum of 66 LBR detachments, worldwide, operating 132 UE aircraft - approximately
96
H-43B, ten
H-21 and
26
H-19
plus
12
command support aircraft - was originally planned, but there were indications that the
ultimate
force
would
be
larger.
As of
01 February 1964 the organization of LBR
DETs was changed. From that moment on each of the Air Rescue Centers
would have DET numbers
which start with #1.
As of
08 January 1966 the organizations were renamed from MATS to MAC
and from ARC
(Air Rescue Center) to
ARRC
(Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Center).
The 39th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing
(MAC) was activated on 01 January 1970 with headquarters located at
Richards-Gebaur AFB, Missouri. The Wing functions under the command of Headqaurters ARRS (MAC), Scott AFB, IL.
The period 01 January 1970 to 01 April 1970 was an organizational period with the Wing having neither command nor control
over subordinate units.
As a result of FY72 studies by USAF, the 39 ARRW force composition was changed.
Reductions in the size of
forces and
a mission more oriented toward combat SAR.
Twenty-five of the 39 ARRWg 's thirty-three detachments were deactivated.
By Dec 1972 the authorized number of HH-43F was still 60.
The reduced manning was effective by 30 June 73.
The major changes have been the retirement of the HH-43 and replacing them with the HH-1H.
(source
: AFHRA Document
dated
31 December 1972)
Last CONUS units to fly the HH-43F were :
| DET.6 , 43 ARRS (formerly 42nd) | Holloman AFB, NM | until August 1973 |
| DET.22, 43 ARRS (formerly 42nd) | Mountain Home AFB, ID | until August 1973 |
| DET.18, 43 ARRS (formerly 44th) | Plattsburgh AFB, NY | until September 1973 |
Final
operational
flight
of
a
USAF
Huskie
was
made
on
20
September
1975
by
HH-43F
64-17559
assigned
to
DET.5
,
40
ARRS
at
Udorn
RTAFB,
Thailand.
DET.5
was
deactivated
on
30
September
1975
,
according
to
this
Udorn
RTAFB
"EASY
FLYER",
dated
12
September
1975
(received
from
Mr.
George
J
Kuerner
SMSgt
Ret.
and
H-43
crewchief
at
that
time)
:
last update 13/01/2010