76th Helicopter Squadron

The 76th Helicopter Squadron is an inactivated United States Air Force unit that was based at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California assigned to the 30th Operations Group, 30th Space Wing that was tasked to support range operations as well as search and rescue missions. The squadron operated the UH-1N Huey helicopter.

History
Provided search, rescue, and recovery services in central and southern Pacific Ocean areas. Supported space recovery operations for Discoverer, Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab programs. Maintained aircraft at Johnson Island during atomic bomb tests in the Pacific. Search, rescue, recovery, and other missions in the area of Vandenberg Air Force Base, especially during periods of missile launches.

The unit logged more than 35,000 hours of accident free flying hours. The helicopter squadron has supported high profile rescue and fire suppression missions, including humanitarian relief in the Gulf States in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Lineage

 * Constituted as the 76th Air Rescue Squadron on 17 October 1952
 * Activated on 14 November 1952
 * Redesignated 76th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron on 8 January 1966
 * Inactivated on 1 August 1975


 * Redesignated 76th Rescue Flight on 1 April 1993
 * Activated on 1 May 1993
 * Redesignated 76th Helicopter Flight on 1 May 1998
 * Redesignated 76th Helicopter Squadron on 21 October 2005
 * Inactivated on 31 August 2007

Assignments

 * 11th Air Rescue Group, 14 November 1952 (attached to Pacific Division, Military Air Transport Service)
 * Air Rescue Service, 16 February 1954 (attached to Pacific Division, Military Air Transport Service to 1 July 1955, then to Far East Air Forces)
 * 2d Air Rescue Group, 20 Sep 1955 (attached to Far East Air Forces to c. 1 Jul 1957, then to 326th Air Division)
 * Air Rescue Service (later Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service), 24 June 1958 (attached to 326 Air Division to 8 May 1959, then to 6486th Air Base Wing until unknown date)
 * Pacific Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Center (later 41st Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing), 1 April 1967 – 1 August 1975
 * 310th Operations Group, 1 May 1993
 * 30th Operations Group, 1 July 1993 – 31 August 2007

Stations

 * Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, 14 November 1952 – 1 August 1975
 * Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, 1 May 1993 – 31 August 2007

Aircraft

 * Boeing SB-29 Superfortress (1955-1956)
 * Grumman SA-16 Albatross (1956-1957, 1960-1961)
 * Sikorsky SH-19 (1957-1960)
 * Douglas SC-54 Skymaster (1956-1964)
 * Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter (1964-1967)
 * Boeing HC-97 Stratofreighter (1964-1967)
 * Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter (1964-1967)
 * Lockheed HC-130 Hercules (1966-1975)
 * Sikorsky HH-53 Super Jolly Green Giant (1972-1975)
 * Bell UH-1 Iroquois (1993-2007)