Lineage. Constituted as 54 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 as: 54 Air Recovery Squadron on 1 Jul 1965; 54 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron on 8 Jan 1966. Inactivated on 15 Jul 1974. Redesignated as 54 Rescue Flight on 1 Apr 1993. Activated on 1 May 1993. Redesignated as: 54 Helicopter Flight on 1 May 1998; 54 Helicopter Squadron on 21 Oct 2005.
Assignments. 6 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; 39 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing, 1 Jan 1970-15 Jul 1974. 91 Operations Group, 1 May 1993; 91 Missile Group, 1 Jul 1994; 91 Operations Group, 1 Feb 1996-.
Stations. Goose Bay Aprt (later, Goose AB), Canada, 14 Nov 1952-18 Jun 1960. Goose AB, Canada, 18 Jun 1961; Pease AFB, NH, 1 Aug 1967-15 Jul 1974. Minot AFB, ND, 1 May 1993-.
Commanders. Lt Col William R. Grady, 14 Nov 1952; Maj Leslie H. Johnson, 14 Apr 1953; Maj Kermit A. Wagner, 30 Jun 1953; Lt Col Gene L. Douglas, 6 Jul 1953; Lt Col John D. Irvin, 3 Sep 1953; Lt Col George E. Bartling, 30 Sep 1953; Lt Col William J. Campbell, 17 Sep 1955; Lt Col Harold W. Burns, 1 Aug 1957; Lt Col Joe Walker, 17 Jan 1958; Lt Col Arthur M. Swap, 15 Mar 1958-1960. Unkn, 18 Jun-Dec 1961; Lt Col Parker B. Mudge, by Jan 1962; Lt Col Ernest L. Reid, 21 Jun 1963-unkn; unkn, 1965-May 1967; Lt Col Erskine Wigley, by Jun 1967; Maj Jack C. Robertson, 1 Jul 1968; Lt Col William A. Bright Jr., 5 Aug 1968; Lt Col Robert T. Dobson, 31 Aug 1970; Lt Col Frederic M. Donohue, by Jul 1972; Lt Col Stanley G. Maratos, 6 Jul 1973; Lt Col Charles A. Bankston, 22 Mar-15 Jul 1974. Maj Daniel Briand, 1 May 1993; Maj Richard C. Lenz, 4 Apr 1994; Maj Russell E. McCallister, 7 Jun 1996; Maj John R. Youngs, 19 Dec 1997; Maj Thomas J. Thibodeaux, 23 Jul 1999; Maj Douglas A. Robertson, 9 Feb 2001; Maj Ronald G. Owens, 19 Jul 2002; Maj Justin Speegle, 30 Apr 2004-.
Aircraft. SA-16, 1952-1957; SB-17, 1952-1953; SC-47, 1952-1955; H-5, 1952-1954; H-19, 1955-1956; SH-21, 1956-1960; SC-54, 1957-1960. SC/HC-54, 1961-1966; SH/HH-43, 1961-1967; SH/HH-19, 1961-1963; SA-16, 1961-1962; HU-16, 1961-1963; SH-21, 1961-1962; HC-130, 1966-1974; HH-3, 1972-1973. UH/HH-1, 1993-.
Operations. Search, rescue, and recovery services in Labrador, Greenland, New England and the waters between, Nov 1952-Jun 1960, and Jun 1961-Jul 1974. Provided security for 91 Missile Wing missile complex; also, transported security forces and equipment throughout the missile fields; supported medical evacuations and rescue searches, 1993-.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. None.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation: North Atlantic, 1968-1969. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Apr 1966-31 Mar 1968; 1 Jun 1970-31 May 1971; 1 Jul 1972-30 Jun 1974; 1 Sep 1993-31 Aug 1995; 1 Sep 1995-31 Aug 1997; 1 Oct 1998-30 Sep 2000; 1 Oct 2000-1 Oct 2001; 1 Jan-31 Dec 2002.
Lineage, Assignments, Stations, and Honors through 25 May 2010.
Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through Jun 2004.
Supersedes statement provided on 1 Oct 1996.
Emblem. Approved on 7 Jun 1956; latest rendering, 9 Sep 2019.
Prepared by Patsy Robertson.
Reviewed by Carl E. Bailey.