The 129th Rescue Wing (129 RQW) is a unit of the California Air National Guard, stationed at Moffett Federal Airfield in Sunnyvale,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

. The wing is equipped with the HC-130J Combat King II and the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter. If activated to federal service, the

wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is exp ...

is assigned to the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army S ...

Air Combat Command Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the primary provider of air combat forces for the Air Force, and i ...

(ACC).

Overview

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, the 129th Rescue Wing's mission is to train and prepare to perform its wartime mission of combat search and rescue anywhere in the world. The unit also works closely with the Coast Guard and various civil agencies on state missions. Equipped with HC-130J Combat King II variants of the

C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally des ...

, HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters, and the

Guardian Angel Weapon System Guardian usually refers to: * Legal guardian, a person with the authority and duty to care for the interests of another * ''The Guardian'', a British daily newspaper (The) Guardian(s) may also refer to: Places * Guardian, West Virginia, Unite ...

(GAWS), the 129th has performed a wide variety of civilian search and rescue missions, including distressed persons aboard ships, lost or injured hikers, and medical evacuations. The primary mission is to prepare for wartime taskings as specified by applicable gaining commands. The peacetime mission is under the control of the

Governor of California The governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard. Established in the Constitution of California, t ...

. Upon mobilization, primary specified mission is combat search and rescue (CSAR). When directed by the California State Office of Emergency Services (OES) and/or the Department of Defense (DoD), the mission is to provide

disaster A disaster is a serious problem occurring over a short or long period of time that causes widespread human, material, economic or environmental loss which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources ...

relief support as required. This includes search and rescue (SAR) assistance to civil authorities, including International Civil Aeronautics Organization (ICAO) signatories, and foreign governments. Federal Mission (United States Air Force): Train, prepare and conduct worldwide combat search and rescue operations, over land or water, in both hostile and permissive environments. The 129th Rescue Wing also provides Agile Combat Support capabilities to Combatant Commanders. State Mission (California Air National Guard): Support the Governor's office during state emergencies and contingencies by providing a wide range of capabilities, to include specialized search/rescue and aerial fire-fighting.

Units

* 129th Operations Group (129 OG) :

129th Rescue Squadron The 129th Rescue Squadron (129 RQS) is a unit of the California Air National Guard 129th Rescue Wing located at Moffett Federal Airfield, Mountain View, California. The 129th is equipped with the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter. If activated to feder ...

(129 RQS) HH-60G Pave Hawk :

130th Rescue Squadron The 130th Rescue Squadron (130 RQS) is a unit of the California Air National Guard 129th Rescue Wing located at Moffett Federal Airfield, Mountain View, California. The 130th is equipped with the HC-130J Combat King II. If activated to federal se ...

(130 RQS) HC-130J Combat King II :

131st Rescue Squadron The 131st Rescue Squadron (131 RQS) is a unit of the California Air National Guard 129th Rescue Wing located at Moffett Federal Airfield, Mountain View, California. Overview The unit was established on 1 October 2003 by the Air Force Special Op ...

(131 RQS) ParaRescue * 129th Maintenance Group (129 MXG) * 129th Mission Support Group (129 MSG) **129th Security Forces Squadron (SFS) **129th Logistics Readiness Squadron (LRS) **129th Communications Flight (CF) **129th Force Support Flight (FSF) **129th Civil Engineering Flight (CEF) * 129th Medical Group (129 MDG)

Insignia

The Air Force Shield, bordered in white, a gold and blue background with two elongated stars in the blue field. A silver braid sword with red handle and hand protector divides the gold and blue fields. Superimposed over the sword and both fields is an olive wreath in green. The unit name is in blue on a white scroll. The emblem bears the colors of deep blue and gold for the

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ar ...

and the colors red, white and blue for the

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territor ...

. The sword symbolizes strength in war; the wreath symbolizes the

peacetime Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. ...

mission. The deep blue field with the two stars and the gold field signify the nighttime and daytime

environment Environment most often refers to: __NOTOC__ * Natural environment, all living and non-living things occurring naturally * Biophysical environment, the physical and biological factors along with their chemical interactions that affect an organism or ...

s in which the wing operates.

History

Formed on 3 April 1955 as the 129th Air Resupply Group by the California Air National Guard. The 129th was a new organization with no prior history or lineage. It was granted recognition by the National Guard Bureau and was stationed at Hayward Airport, California.

Special operations

The 129th ARG was initially assigned to the Military Air Transport Service. It was designated at the time as a "Psychological Warfare" unit which supported USAF unconventional warfare (guerrilla warfare), direct action (commando-type raids), strategic reconnaissance (intelligence gathering), and PSYWAR operations. Later in 1955, control was transferred to

Fourth Air Force The Fourth Air Force (4 AF) is a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California. 4 AF directs the activities and supervises the training of more than 30,000 Air Force Reser ...

Continental Air Command Continental Air Command (ConAC) (1948–1968) was a Major Command of the United States Air Force (USAF) responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. During the Korean War, ConAC provided the necessary au ...

. The unit's mission was airlift of personnel and material using C-46 aircraft. In 1958, control was transferred to Eighteenth Air Force, Tactical Air Command with the mission remaining the same. In 1963 the first major mission change for the 129th occurred. Situations around the world produced a need for specialized units which could insert a small group of trained combat troops on land or sea anywhere at a moment's notice. The 129th was tasked as one of the representatives of the National Guard in the Air Force's Air Commando Group structure. The C-46 was replaced with Helio U-10A and U-10D Couriers. During a three-year period starting in 1965, the U-10s belonging to the 143d and other Air National Guard units were transferred back to the Air Force for use in South Vietnam, during which the "Helio" was replaced by DeHavilland U-6 "Beavers". The 129th later acquired C-119 Flying Boxcars and was renamed the Special Operations Group.

Aerospace Rescue and Recovery

In April 1975, the 129th received a new mission, designation and Air Force Command. Shortly afterward, the Wing also changed aircraft and commenced changing operating bases. The 129th's name became the 129th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group (129 ARRG) and it commenced an incremental relocation / programmed move in 1975 to what was then Naval Air Station Moffett Field, California as a tenant command, totally completing said move by 1984. In October 1989, the 129 ARGG was designated as the 129th Air Rescue Group (ARG). Operations began to convert from HH-3E Jolly Green Giant helicopter to the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter. The conversion was complete in 1991. Though the mission of search and rescue has continued, the Group has continued to reflect reorganizations within the USAF. In March 1992, the name of the 129th Air Rescue Group was shortened to simply 129th Rescue Group (129 RQG) and in June 1992, it became the 129th Rescue Wing (129 RQW). Following the closure of NAS Moffett Field due to BRAC action in 1994 and its transfer from the U.S. Navy to the

National Aeronautics and Space Administration The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding ...

(

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeedi ...

) as Moffett Federal Airfield, the 129th remained at Moffett as a tenant command. In April 1997, Air Combat Command evaluated the 129th Rescue Wing's war capability as an overall Excellent during its Operational Readiness Inspection. Today, the 129th Rescue Wing continues its search and rescue operations on a global scale. The motto of the 129th Rescue Wing, "That Others May Live", refers to the primary mission of the wing – to save lives. The members of the 129th have performed rescues under a variety of conditions – from rough Pacific seas to the rugged Sierra Nevada, using its combination of MC-130 tankers and HH-60 helicopters. Many high-risk lifesaving missions involved long-range, over-water flights, air refueling of helicopters by the HC-130 aircraft, and skilled maneuvering by ships and helicopters to recover patients from the decks of these vessels. On 3 September 1991, the 129th recovered a sailor from the merchant ship ''White Mana'', the Group's 200th "save". Since its designation as a rescue unit in 1975, the 129th has directly saved the lives of 300 people In 1990, the 129th began supporting U.S. Customs in the seizure of illegal drugs, as well as illegal animal and plant products, during cargo inspections. The unit has performed a number of humanitarian missions to foreign countries. From 1989 to 1991, the 129th deployed to sites in South America to assist in constructing hospital and school facilities. During Desert Shield/Storm in 1990 and 1991, the 129th deployed personnel to both overseas and stateside locations. Three pararescuemen volunteered for combat operations and teams from the 129th Medical Squadron deployed to England, Saudi Arabia and Travis AFB. Individual members of the 129th volunteered to backfill for deployed active duty members. In July 1993, 129th members deployed to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait as part of rescue force coverage for Southwest Asia. 2 July 2008, crews from the 129th Rescue Squadron were certified to perform water bucket operations, making the 129th the only rescue unit in the Air Force and Air National Guard qualified to fight fires. On 6 April 2018 the squadron received the first of four new HC-130J Combat King II aircraft. The 129th has been routinely assigned to support Operations Iraqi Freedom and

Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 att ...

California state support missions

As an Air National Guard unit, many of the 129th's missions involved supporting the Governor's office during times of State emergencies, including earthquakes, chemical spills, fires and floods. The 129th provided aid during floods along the Yuba River in 1959 and the Eel River in 1964–1965. During record flooding in Sonoma, Sutter and Yuba counties in Northern California, 33 lives were saved in 5 days, from 18 to 22 February 1986. In all, 44 lives were saved in 1986, a record rescue for the 129th. During the aftermath of the

1989 Loma Prieta earthquake The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake occurred on California's Central Coast on October 17 at local time. The shock was centered in The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park in Santa Cruz County, approximately northeast of Santa Cruz on a section of ...

, the 129th established Command Post operations and was chosen to coordinate all military aircraft activities within the Bay Area. The 129th provided air transportation for State and Federal government officials to survey damage from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and the 1991 Oakland Hills fire. The unit has also been tasked with mutual aid to state law enforcement during the 1965 Watts (Los Angeles) riots and the 1992 civil disturbance in Los Angeles.

Lineage

* Designated 129th Air Resupply Group, and allotted to California ANG, 1955 : Extended federal recognition and activated, 3 April 1955 : Re-designated: 129th Troop Carrier Group, 1 November 1958 : Re-designated: 129th Air Commando Group, 1 July 1963 : Re-designated: 129th Special Operations Group, 8 August 1968 : Re-designated: 129th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group, 3 May 1975 : Re-designated: 129th Air Rescue Group, 1 October 1989 : Re-designated: 129th Rescue Group, 16 March 1992 : Status changed from Group to Wing, 1 October 1995 : Re-designated: 129th Rescue Wing, 1 October 1995

Assignments

* California Air National Guard, 3 April 1955 : Gained by:

Military Air Transport Service The Military Air Transport Service (MATS) is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy's Naval Air Transport Service (NATS) and the United States Air Force ...

: Gained by:

, 1955 : Gained by:

Eighteenth Air Force Eighteenth Air Force (Air Forces Transportation) (18 AF) is the only Numbered Air Force (NAF) in Air Mobility Command (AMC) and one of the largest NAFs in the United States Air Force. 18 AF was activated on 28 March 1951, inactivated on 1 Janu ...

Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...

, 1 November 1958 : Gained by:

, 1 July 1963 : Gained by:

Military Airlift Command The Military Airlift Command (MAC) is an inactive United States Air Force major command (MAJCOM) that was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Established on 1 January 1966, MAC was the primary strategic airlift organization of the ...

, 3 May 1975 : Gained by:

, 1 June 1992 : Gained by: Air Force Special Operations Command, 1 October 2003 : Gained by:

, 1 October 2005

Components

* 129th Operations Group, 1 October 1995 – present *

, 3 April 1955 – present *

, 1 October 2003 – present *

, 1 October 2003 – present

Stations

* Hayward Municipal Airport, California, 3 April 1955 * Naval Air Station Moffett Field, California, 1980 – 1 July 1994 * Moffett Federal Airfield, 1 July 1994 – present

Aircraft

* C-46 Commando, 1955–1963 *

SA-16 Albatross The Grumman HU-16 Albatross is a large, twin–radial engined amphibious seaplane that was used by the United States Air Force (USAF), the U.S. Navy (USN), and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), primarily as a search and rescue (SAR) aircraft. Original ...

, 1963–1968 * C-119 Flying Boxcar, 1968–1975 * Cessna U-3A, 1968–1975 *

U-6A Beaver The de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver is a single-engined high-wing propeller-driven short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft developed and manufactured by de Havilland Canada. It has been primarily operated as a bush plane and has been used ...

, 1968–1975 * U-10D Super Courier, 1968–1975 * HH-3E Jolly Green Giant, 1975–1991 * HC-130P Hercules, 1980–2002 * MC-130P Combat Shadow, 2002 – 2019 * HH-60G Pave Hawk, 1991–present * HC-130J Combat King II, 2018–present

Decorations

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award The Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award (ASOUA) is one of the unit awards of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. It was established in 1954 as the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and was the first independent Air Force d ...

23 December 1964 – 17 January 1965; 1st Device, 12 June 1984 – 11 June 1986; 2nd Device, 1 April 1989 – 31 March 1991; 3rd Device, 8 June 1995 – 7 June 1997; 4th Device, 1 August 1998 – 31 July 2000; 5th Device, 1 August 2000 – 31 July 2002. *

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

's (California) Outstanding Unit Citation, 1 May 1986 – 30 April 1987 * The Adjutant General's (California) Meritorious Unit Citation; 1964, 1965, 1972, 1975, 1979, 1984 *

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...

Meritorious Unit Commendation The Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC; pronounced ''muck'') is a mid-level unit award of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Army awards units the Army MUC for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding achievement or ...

with Operational Distinguishing Device; 1 May 1981 – 1 October 1981; 1st Device, 26 February 1984 – 15 November 1985; 2nd Device, 31 January 2000 – 28 February 2000

Other wing awards and decorations

* Air National Guard Meritorious Service Award, 1972 * National Guard Bureau Meritorious Service Award, 1973 *

Air Force Association The Air & Space Forces Association (AFA) is an independent, 501(c)(3) non-profit, professional military association for the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, its declared mission is "t ...

(Tennessee Ernie Ford Chapter), Outstanding Organization Award, 1985 * Royal Air Force Benevolence Fund (United Kingdom) Straddling Trophy for Aircraft Concours d’Elegance Competition, International Air Tattoo '85, RAF Fairfield, England, 1985 *

, Distinguished Flying Unit Award * Air National Guard, Distinguished Flying Unit, 1987 * Chuck Yeager

Aerospace Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astrona ...

Education Award, 1993 * Founders & Patriots of America, Outstanding National Guard Unit Award, April 1996, March 2001 and December 2004 * Air National Guard Association, Spaatz Trophy, 1998 * Air Force Association, Outstanding Unit Award (Outstanding ANG Unit of the Year), 1999 * Air Combat Command Flight Safety Award, 10 October 2000 – 30 September 2001 * Air Force Association, Outstanding ANG Flying Unit Award, 2002 * National Guard Bureau Excellence in Diversity Award, 2014

References

history of the 129th Rescue Wing

129th Rescue Wing website history
* Rogers, B. (2006). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978.

External links

Official website

129th Alumni and Heritage
{{California Wings of the United States Air National Guard Military units and formations in California 129 Moffett Field