The 130th Rescue Squadron (130 RQS) is a unit of the
California Air National Guard
The California Air National Guard (CA ANG) is one of three components of the California National Guard, a reserve of the United States Air Force, and part of the National Guard of the United States.
As militia units, the units in the Californi ...
129th Rescue Wing located at
Moffett Federal Airfield
Moffett Federal Airfield , also known as Moffett Field, is a joint civil-military airport located in an unincorporated part of Santa Clara County, California, United States, between northern Mountain View and northern Sunnyvale. On November ...
, Mountain View, California. The 130th is equipped with the
HC-130J Combat King II. If activated to federal service, the 130 RQS is gained within the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
by the
Air Combat Command
The Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the prim ...
(ACC).
Overview
The 130th RQS flies four HC-130J Combat King IIs, a version of the C-130 specially modified for probe-and-drogue aerial refueling and combat search-and-rescue missions. These aircraft extend the range of the wing's HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters with an air refueling capability.
Established on 1 October 2003 by the
Air Force Special Operations Command
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Florida, is the special operations component of the United States Air Force. An Air Force major command (MAJCOM), AFSOC is also the U.S. Air Force component command ...
as part of a re-organization of Air National Guard rescue units which created separate squadrons for fixed-wing, helicopter and pararescue elements of the
129th Rescue Wing. All three squadrons are assigned to the 129th Operations Group. The HH-60 helicopter flight became
129th Rescue Squadron; the HC-130P Hercules flight become the 130th Rescue Squadron, and the pararescue flight became the
131st Rescue Squadron. On 6 April 2018 the squadron received the first of four new
HC-130J Combat King II aircraft.
Operations
When in a theater of combat, squadron members operate at the direction of the overall theater combatant commander and the theater's commander of air forces. In these situations, the 130th is primarily assigned to conduct personnel recovery operations—rescuing downed airmen or other isolated personnel from enemy territory, for example. In addition to combat search-and-rescue missions like these, the 130th may also conduct collateral missions: noncombatant evacuation operations, inter- and intra-theater airlift, and support of special operations forces, for example.
Back at home, the 130th Rescue Squadron furnishes trained personnel to respond to state emergencies, such as natural disasters, and to assist civil authorities in the enforcement of the law. Other 130th missions include non-combat search and rescue (SAR), emergency aeromedical evacuations, humanitarian relief, international aid, counter-drug activities, and support for NASA flight operations.
The 130th RQS has been assigned to support
Operation Iraqi Freedom
The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with the invasion by a United States-led coalition, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ba'athist governm ...
(Iraq) and
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used by the U.S. government for both the first stage (2001–2014) of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response ...
(Afghanistan) in support of the
Global War on Terrorism.
Specifics
* Designated 130th Rescue Squadron, and allotted to California ANG, 2003
: Extended federal recognition and activated, 1 October 2003
* Assigned to: 129th Operations Group
* Station:
Moffett Federal Airfield
Moffett Federal Airfield , also known as Moffett Field, is a joint civil-military airport located in an unincorporated part of Santa Clara County, California, United States, between northern Mountain View and northern Sunnyvale. On November ...
, Mountain View, California (Deploys Worldwide)
* Equipment: HC-130J Combat King II
References
External links
{{California
Squadrons of the United States Air National Guard
Military units and formations in California
130 130 may refer to:
*130 (number), the natural number following 129 and preceding 131
*AD 130, a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar
*130 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar
*Kin Sang stop, MTR digital station code
*130 Ele ...