563d Rescue Group
563d Rescue Group is a United States Air Force personnel-recovery organization based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.
Last updated August 26, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
The 563d Rescue Group is a United States Air Force organization responsible for directing flying operations devoted to personnel recovery. Headquartered at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona and assigned to the 355th Wing within Air Combat Command, it oversees rescue forces at Davis-Monthan and at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Its responsibilities combine operational employment, readiness, training, force management, and contingency planning for combat rescue and related humanitarian missions. The group’s modern designation dates from 2003, when it was activated at Davis-Monthan to command Air Force rescue units in the western United States. Its subordinate force includes one HC-130J Combat King II squadron, two HH-60G Pave Hawk squadrons, two Guardian Angel squadrons, and an operations support squadron. Guardian Angel units provide pararescuemen, combat rescue officers, and associated personnel who locate, treat, and recover isolated or injured people. The helicopter squadrons conduct personnel recovery in hostile or difficult environments, while also supporting civil search and rescue, disaster relief, international assistance, emergency medical evacuation, and counter-drug operations. The HC-130J squadron provides long-range coordination and support, including helicopter refueling, airdrop, low-level flight, and delivery or recovery of pararescue personnel and equipment. The organization traces its lineage to the 3rd Emergency Rescue Squadron, activated in Mississippi in 1944 during the Second World War. Originally equipped primarily for maritime recovery with Consolidated OA-10 Catalina aircraft, it deployed to the Southwest Pacific. The unit rescued downed airmen, transported supplies and messages, evacuated prisoners and wounded personnel, and used aircraft such as the Boeing SB-17 Dumbo to drop survival boats when sea conditions prevented amphibious pickup. It was credited with rescuing 325 people during its wartime Pacific operations and received a Philippine Presidential Unit Citation. After Japan’s surrender, the unit moved to Japan as part of the occupation forces and developed broader land-rescue capabilities, adding helicopters and light aircraft. During the Korean War it performed combat rescues behind enemy lines, aeromedical evacuation, maritime search, and support to forward forces. Its helicopters evacuated thousands of casualties, while its fixed-wing aircraft supported search and rescue and special missions. In 1952 the squadron expanded into the 3rd Air Rescue Group. The Korean conflict brought the organization a Distinguished Unit Citation and two Korean Presidential Unit Citations, alongside extensive rescue activity involving United Nations personnel. The lineage was reactivated in Southeast Asia in 1966 as the 3rd Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group. Operating from Tan Son Nhut Airport and later Thailand, it commanded Air Force rescue forces during the Vietnam War and participated in the evacuation of Phnom Penh and Saigon. It was inactivated in Thailand in 1976 after the United States withdrawal from Vietnam. The present-day 563d Rescue Group was activated in 2003, preserving the earlier rescue organization’s lineage while placing it within the contemporary Air Force personnel-recovery structure. Its current role is operational rather than commercial: it trains and equips specialized rescue forces and makes them available for combat recovery, emergency response, and humanitarian assistance worldwide.
History
The organization’s lineage began in February 1944, when the 3rd Emergency Rescue Squadron was activated in Mississippi and trained for the recovery of downed aircrews. It deployed to the Southwest Pacific in the autumn of that year. The squadron initially operated Consolidated OA-10 Catalina amphibious aircraft, later adding Boeing SB-17 Dumbo aircraft capable of dropping powered lifeboats to survivors in seas too rough for a Catalina landing. In addition to rescue, it carried supplies and messages, evacuated prisoners and wounded personnel, and performed limited reconnaissance. During approximately eleven months of Pacific combat operations, the unit was credited with rescuing 325 people and received a Philippine Presidential Unit Citation. Following Japan’s surrender, the squadron moved to Japan and became part of the occupation force. Its peacetime rescue network covered multiple Japanese bases and included operations connected with Korea. By the late 1940s, the unit had expanded beyond maritime recovery by adding Sikorsky R-6 helicopters and Stinson L-5 light aircraft. This reflected the growing importance of rescuing personnel from land locations and inaccessible forward areas. The unit became known as the 3rd Rescue Squadron in 1948. When the Korean War began in June 1950, elements deployed to Korea with light aircraft and transport aircraft before receiving H-5 helicopters. The squadron rescued downed pilots behind enemy lines, evacuated wounded troops, and operated from forward islands and improvised landing areas. Its aircraft fleet evolved during the conflict, including SA-16 Albatross amphibians, SB-29 Superdumbos, and later Sikorsky H-19 helicopters with greater range. Helicopter evacuation was credited with substantially improving the speed of medical treatment for wounded personnel. The organization also undertook specialized missions, including the recovery of intelligence material and the extraction of personnel from areas behind opposing lines. In November 1952, the squadron expanded into the 3rd Air Rescue Group. During the Korean War, the group was credited with rescuing nearly 10,000 United Nations personnel, including almost 1,000 combat saves behind enemy lines and approximately 200 water rescues. Its performance earned a Distinguished Unit Citation and two Korean Presidential Unit Citations. The group returned to rescue duties in Japan after the war but was inactivated in 1957 as the Air Rescue Service reorganized its structure. The lineage returned in 1966 as the 3rd Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group at Tan Son Nhut Airport. It commanded Air Force rescue units operating in Southeast Asia throughout the Vietnam War and participated in the region’s major campaigns after its activation. The organization received four additional Presidential Unit Citations, an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat V device, and two Vietnamese Gallantry Crosses with Palm. As United States forces left Vietnam, the group moved its headquarters to Thailand. It supported the evacuations of Phnom Penh and Saigon before being inactivated there in 1976. The modern 563d Rescue Group was activated at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in 2003 to command rescue units in the western United States. It now directs training, readiness, operations, intelligence, tactics, mobility, life-support coordination, and flying-hour management for its assigned squadrons. The group’s force structure links fixed-wing rescue support, HH-60 helicopter recovery, and Guardian Angel ground teams. Its mission encompasses combat personnel recovery as well as civil rescue, disaster response, emergency medical evacuation, and international assistance.
- 2003
Activation of the modern 563d Rescue Group
[1]The current group was activated at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base to command rescue units in the western United States.
- 1976
Inactivation in Thailand
[1]After supporting evacuations from Phnom Penh and Saigon, the Southeast Asian incarnation was inactivated in Thailand.
- 1966
Reactivation for Southeast Asian operations
[1]The organization was reestablished as the 3rd Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group at Tan Son Nhut during the Vietnam War.
- 1952
Expansion into the 3rd Air Rescue Group
[1]The rescue squadron was expanded into a group while continuing combat operations in Korea.
- 1950
Korean War rescue operations
[1]The organization expanded combat rescue and aeromedical evacuation operations in Korea, including recovery of personnel behind enemy lines.
- 1945
Postwar move to Japan
[1]After Japan’s surrender, the unit joined occupation forces and established rescue coverage across Japan and nearby areas.
- 1944
Activation as the 3rd Emergency Rescue Squadron
[1]The unit was activated in Mississippi and began training for aircraft and maritime rescue operations during the Second World War.
- 1944
Deployment to the Southwest Pacific
[1]The squadron deployed to the Southwest Pacific, operating Catalina amphibians and later Dumbo rescue aircraft in combat conditions.
Products and positioning
A specialized United States Air Force personnel-recovery organization focused on combat rescue, rescue-force readiness, and global emergency response.
Fixed-wing rescue support
HC-130J Combat King II operations
The group’s HC-130J force supports personnel recovery missions by providing long-range coordination, helicopter air refueling, airdrop capability, and transport of pararescuers and recovery equipment. Crews can operate at low level and use unimproved runways, allowing rescue forces to reach or support isolated personnel in austere environments.
Rotary-wing combat rescue
HH-60G Pave Hawk operations
HH-60G-equipped squadrons provide helicopter recovery of downed aircrew and other isolated personnel in hostile, remote, or adverse-weather conditions. Their broader tasking also includes civil search and rescue, disaster relief, humanitarian assistance, emergency medical evacuation, and support to counter-drug operations.
Pararescue and ground recovery
Guardian Angel personnel recovery
Guardian Angel squadrons train and employ pararescuemen, combat rescue officers, and support personnel. Teams establish contact with survivors, provide medical treatment, and organize extraction during combat rescue missions, while also contributing to humanitarian and civil rescue responses.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/563d-rescue-group · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled