Lineage and Honors History
Of the
563 Rescue Group (AFSOC)

On 1 October 2003 the 3rd Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group was activated at Davis-Monthan Air Base, Arizona and redesignated the 563rd Rescue Group. The group is responsible for eight squadrons. Three squadrons are located at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada and include the 58th Rescue Squadron, 66th Rescue Squadron, and the 763rd Maintenance Squadron. The group has five squadrons based with it at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base which include the 563rd Operations Support Squadron, the 48th Rescue Squadron, 55th Rescue Squadron, 79th Rescue Squadron, and the 563rd Maintenance Squadron. When the group is fully operational, it is expected to have well over 1,000 personnel assigned to it. The group reports to the 347th Rescue Wing at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia.

The group has a long history which goes back when it was activated on 14 February 1944 as the 3d Emergency Rescue Squadron at Gulfport Army Air Field, Mississippi and initially assigned to the 13th Air Force. On 17 June 1944 the squadron was moved to Brisbane, Australia. The squadron wasn’t in Australia long; on 20 June 1944 when it moved to Oro Bay, New Guinea and was assigned to the 5th Air Force on 17 August 1944. On 2 September 1944 the squadron moved to Biak, New Guinea and on 2 October 1944 it was assigned to the 5276th Rescue Composite Group. The squadron then moved on to Dulag, Leyte and was assigned to V Bomber Command in November 1944 and later reassigned to the 314th Composite Wing, with various detachments located in the Pacific Theater. The squadron was reassigned to the 5th Emergency Rescue Group on 16 March 1945. The squadron moved on to Floridablanca, Luzon (Philippines) on 21 May 1945. During its time in the Pacific Theater in World War II, the squadron earned eight campaign streamers and the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.

The squadron was moved to Le Shima, Ryukyu Islands on 15 September 1945 and then on to Atsugi Airdrome, Japan during the same month with various flights located throughout Japan and Korea. The squadron was redesignated as the 3rd Rescue Squadron on 28 January 1948 and was reassigned to the Air Rescue Service on 1 May 1949. The squadron was redesignated as the 3rd Air Rescue Squadron on 10 August 1950 and as the 3rd Air Rescue Group on 14 November 1952. The group moved to other bases in Japan 1953 to include Misawa AB and Yokota AB, Japan. During its time in Japan the group participated in the Korean War and was awarded 10 campaign streamers, three President Unit Citations and two Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citations. The group was inactivated on 18 June 1957.

The group was activated again on 8 January 1966 and redesignated the 3rd Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group at Tan Son Nhut AB, South Vietnam. On 15 February 1973 the group moved to Nakhon Phanom AB, Thailand and then moved on to U-Tapao AB, Thailand on 1 October 1975 and was inactivated on 31 Jan 1976. The group was assigned to the Pacific Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Center during its entire time in Vietnam and Thailand. In the Vietnam War the group performed search, rescue, and recovery missions in Southeast Asia and operated a Joint Search and Rescue Center. During its time in Vietnam the group participated in nine campaigns. The campaigns included the Vietnam Defense, Vietnam Air, Vietnam Air Offensive, Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II, Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III, Vietnam Air/Group; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV, TET/69 Counteroffensive; Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969. For its actions in the Vietnam War the group was awarded the Two Presidential Units Citations, an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and a Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm.

Through out its history the group has made an obvious impact which can be seen through its various awards. The group has had several aircraft assigned to it to include the OA-10, B-17, SB-17, C-47, SC-47, L-5, R-6, H-6, H-5, SB-29, SA-16, H-19, HC-130, HH-3, HH-43, HH-53, HU-16 and the SC-54. The group now has HC-130 and HH-60 aircraft assigned.




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