57th Rescue Squadron

The 57th Rescue Squadron is a combat-ready search and rescue squadron composed of USAF Pararescue and Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape personnel, capable of executing all-weather search and rescue missions day or night in hostile environments in support of USAFE, USEUCOM, and NATO operations. It employs advanced search and rescue equipment. The squadron is capable of deploying to any theater of operations in the world. ==History==

The squadron was first activated at Lajes Field in the Azores in November 1952 as the 57th Air Rescue Squadron in a reorganization of Air Rescue Service. The 7th Air Rescue Squadron at Wheelus Field, Libya was expanded into a group and each of its remotely stationed lettered flights was replaced by a new squadron. The 57th replaced Flight B of the 7th Squadron and assumed its personnel and equipment. The squadron mission was to intercept aircraft in distress while crossing the Atlantic and to escort them back to Lajes Field. The 57th also provided search and rescue for both downed aircraft and for ships. One of the squadron's most notable achievements occurred in 1959, when a Portuguese ship, the SS Arnel, which had struck rocks near the island of Santa Maria. The squadron evacuated 48 persons from the Arnel. Creating two rescue squadrons at Lakenheath is intended to replicate combat conditions because pararescuemen frequently deploy separately from their rescue helicopters and planes. In May 2018, the 57th and its sister squadron, the 56th RQS, relocated to Aviano Air Base, Italy. ==Lineage==

• Constituted as the 57th Air Rescue Squadron on 17 October 1952 : Activated on 14 November 1952 : Redesignated 57th Air Recovery Squadron on 1 July 1965 : Redesignated 57th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron on 8 January 1966 : Inactivated on 1 December 1972 • Redesignated 57th Rescue Squadron on 5 February 2015 : Activated on 18 February 2015 ==Assignments==

• 7th Air Rescue Group: 14 November 1952 (attached to United States Air Forces in Europe until 1 August 1954, then to Atlantic Division, Military Air Transport Service) • 9th Air Rescue Group: 8 September 1955 • Air Rescue Service (later Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service): 24 June 1958 • Atlantic Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Center (later 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing): 8 January 1966 – 1 January 1972 • 48th Operations Group: 18 February 2015 • 31st Operations Group: 1 July 2018 – present ==Stations==

• Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal, 14 November 1952 – 1 December 1972 • RAF Lakenheath, England, 18 February 2015 • Aviano Air Base, Italy, 1 July 2018 – present ==Aircraft==

• Boeing SB-17 Flying Fortress • Douglas SC-54 (later HC-54D) • Sikorsky SH-19 • Lockheed HC-130 Hercules ==References==