Lineage

Constituted 55th Air Rescue Squadron on 17 Oct 1952. Activated on 14 Nov 1952. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 18 Jun 1960. Activated on 10 May 1961. Organized on 18 Jun 1961. Redesignated: 55th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron on 8 Jan 1966; 55th Special Operations Squadron on 1 Mar 1988.

Assignments

6th Air Rescue Group, 14 Nov 1952; Air Rescue Service, 18 Feb 1958?18 Jun 1960. Military Air Transport Service, 10 May 1961; Air Rescue (later, Aerospace Rescue and Recovery) Service, 18 Jun 1961; 39th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery (later, 39th Special Operations) Wing, 1 Jan 1970; 1st Special Operations Wing, 18 Apr 1989; 1st Special Operations (later, 16th Operations) Group, 22 Sep 1992?.

Stations

Thule AB, Greenland, 14 Nov 1952; Kindley AFB, Bermuda, 17 Mar?18 Jun 1960. Kindley AFB, Bermuda, 18 Jun 1961; McCoy AFB, FL, 27 Feb 1970; Eglin AFB, FL, 25 Jun 1971; Hurlburt Field, FL, 25 Feb 1993?.

Aircraft

SB?17, 1952?1955; SC?47, 1952?1954; H?19, 1953?1957; SA?16, 1953?1959; YH?21, 1953?1955; SC?54, 1956?1957, 1959?1960; SH?21, 1956?1960. HC?54, 1961?1964; SH?19 (later, HH?19), 1961?1963; HH?43, 1963?1964; HC?97, 1964?1966; HC?130, 1966?1988; HH?53, 1973?1980; H?3, 1980?1982; UH/MH?60, 1982?.

Operations

Trained and performed rescue and recovery missions, 1952?1960. Supported manned spacecraft recovery operations, Jun 1961?Jan 1966. Special operations missions, Mar 1988?. Combat in Panama, 20 Dec 1989?14 Jan 1990, and Southwest Asia, 1 Jan?12 Mar 1991.

Honors

Service Streamers. None.

Campaign Streamers. Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. Panama, 1989?1990.

Decorations. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jul 1972?30 Jun 1974; 1 Jul 1976?30 Jun 1978; 20?29 Nov 1978; 1 May 1988?30 Apr 1990; 16 Apr 1992?15 Apr 1994. Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation: 1 Jul 1967?26 Jul 1969. Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation: 5?6 Feb 1986.

Emblem

On a Yellow disc, a Light Blue demisphere issuant from sinister, overall a Black hawk in flight, beak and feet Yellow, eye Light Blue, and to sinister a Yellow polestar; all within a narrow Blue border. MOTTO: NIGHT HAWKS. Approved on 12 Dec 1988 (DFSC 89?05809); replaced emblems approved on 12 Dec 1984 (DFSC 85?03149); 12 May 1958 (K 10312) and 28 Sep 1954 (151218 A.C.).