The 34th Weapons Squadron is a

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 ...

unit. It is assigned to the

USAF Weapons School The USAF Weapons School is a unit of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force, assigned to the 57th Wing and Space Delta 1. It is located at Nellis AFB, Nevada. Mission The mission of the USAF Weapons School is to teach gradu ...

, stationed at

Nellis Air Force Base Nellis Air Force Base ("Nellis" colloquialism, colloq.) is a United States Air Force military installation, installation in southern Nevada. Nellis hosts Aerial warfare, air combat exercises such as Exercise Red Flag and close air support exerc ...

, Nevada. The mission of the squadron is to provide HH-60 Pave Hawk instructional flying for air rescue missions.

History

Rescue operations

The squadron was first activated at

Kadena Air Base (International Air Transport Association airport code, IATA: DNA, International Civil Aviation Organization airport code, ICAO: RODN) is a United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena, Okinawa, Kadena and Chatan, Okinawa, Chatan and the ...

, Okinawa on 17 October 1952, when Air Rescue Service expanded its existing squadrons into groups and replaced their flights with new squadrons. The squadron absorbed the mission, personnel and equipment of D Flight of the

2d Air Rescue Squadron 002, 0O2, O02, OO2, or 002 may refer to: Airports *0O2, Baker Airport *O02, Nervino Airport Astronomy *1996 OO2, the minor planet 7499 L'Aquila *1990 OO2, the asteroid 9175 Graun Fiction *002, fictional British 00 Agent *''002 Operazione Luna'', ...

. The 34th flew the Boeing SB-29 Super Dumbo, a rescue version of the B-29. Its Super Dumbos accompanied

Boeing B-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is a retired American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the Bo ...

es of

Twentieth Air Force The Twentieth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) (20th AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming. 20 AF's primary mission is Intercon ...

, providing strike force rescue escort for bombers flying combat missions to Korea until combat operations ceased in July 1953. The squadron also flew search and rescue missions in the Okinawa area. The 34th participated in "Duckbutt" missions, flying rescue and recovery orbits to assist damaged or lost aircraft recovering to Japan after missions during the Korean War. The SB-29 dropped wooden boats and parajumpers to recover lost aircrew. With the reduction of US forces in the Pacific following the end of hostilities in Korea, the 34th was inactivated on 8 September 1954.

Advanced training

The

HH-60G Division had its origins in the establishment of the USAF Combat Rescue School at

, Nevada in 1993. In 1995,

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 ...

consolidated the mission of the Rescue School within the

57th Wing The 57th Wing (57 WG) is an operational unit of the United States Air Force (USAF) United States Air Force Warfare Center, Warfare Center, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The 57 WG's mission is to provide well trained and wel ...

. On 7 July 1995, the HH-60G Division of the USAF Weapons School was organized. In 2003, the division was replaced by the 34th Weapons Squadron, which became an instructional squadron at the Weapons School, equipped with HH-60 Pave Hawk for PJ and helicopter pilot rescue training.

Lineage

* Constituted as the 34th Air Rescue Squadron on 17 October 1952 : Activated on 14 November 1952 : Inactivated on 8 September 1954 * Redesignated 34th Weapons Squadron on 24 January 2003 : Activated on 3 February 2003

Assignments

* 2d Air Rescue Group, 14 November 1952 – 8 September 1954 (attached to

, 1 June 1953 – 31 July 1954) * USAF Weapons School, 3 February 2003 – present

Stations

* Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, 14 November 1952 – 8 September 1954 * Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, 3 February 2003 – present

Aircraft

* Boeing SB-29 Super Dumbo, 1952–1954 * Sikorsky H-5 Dragonfly, 1952–1954 *

Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw The Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw (company model number S-55) is a multi-purpose piston-engined helicopter that was used by the United States Army and United States Air Force. It was also license-built by Westland Aircraft as the Westland Whirlwin ...

, 1952–1953 *

Douglas C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II. During the war the C-47 was used for tro ...

, 1952–1954 * Douglas SC-47 Skytrain, 1952–1954

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes ; Citations

Bibliography

* {{USAF Air Combat Command Weapons 0034