USAF 57th RQS / Pararescue / Guardian Angel / Aviano Patch

USAF 57th Rescue Squadron / Pararescue / Guardian Angel / Aviano PVC Patch

Made in 2018 for the crew of the 57th RQS in Aviano AB, Italy.

The history of this patch may have to do with one of the toughest searches in the collection. This piece was made exclusively for the inaugural event of the 57th RQS transfer from RAF Lakenheath, UK to the Aviano, Italy and used for first time at the Realignment Ceremony where the 56th and 57th RQS were officially recognized as part of the Aviano Base on June 14th of 2018. That day, the OG Commander jumped out of an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter with the help of the two Rescue Squadrons. After landing, he passed the SQ flag completing the final step of realigning the squadrons to Aviano. 

Designed by one of the team's PJs, this patch was made in quantities less than 100 units ( In fact it is said that only 57 of them were made even if it looks like a ridiculous number, to honor the squadron). After months of failed communications with the commander of the unit and several officers, pilots, maintainers, gunners, etc. and after a year of asking if they could donate a single piece for the collection, all the answers were identical: "Dear colleague, the PJ's of the 57th did not give a single patch to anyone. Not even exchanging for another or even paying for it!" The reality is that this group of Pararescuemen was so jealous of this wonderful design, they literally kept it for themselves and very few direct friends of the team and did not give it to anyone in the base, causing up to certain resentments with some direct associates within the squadron who did not take this action with too much gratitude. 

A year and a half of intense contacts with different people close to the base paid off and I was able to get 3 pieces of this wonderful and unique design that truly reflects the spirit of these men by reflecting their capabilities in the air, sea or land in this beautiful design. Truly almost impossible to achieve but luckily added to the collection as a reference to the future of the history of this unit.

As far as we know it was only used during the first month of the 57th RQS in Aviano and we do not know if it is still in use today. One of my favorite patches in the collection for sure!

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USAF 720th STG Patch Set

USAF 720th Special Tactics Group Patch Set

OD Green and DCU versions.

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USAF 38th ARRS / Pedro Rescue / 100 Combat Missions Tab

USAF 38th Air Rescue & Recovery Squadron / Pedro Rescue / 100 Combat Missions Tab

From 1966 to 1971 the squadron controlled 14 detachments of HH-43F 'PEDROS" from its HQ at Tan Son Nhut AB, RVN for the recovery of downed airmen and (later) base crash rescue. One of the most counterfeit patches ever made, but this is an original piece that took me a long time to find and in this case, the patch was kindly donated by a fellow friend and collector Tony R. from the Jolly Green Giant Collection.  Rare!

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USAF 26th ERQS / Guardian Angel Patch

USAF 26th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron / Guardian Angel Patch

This patch was kindly donated by a fellow friend and collector Tony R. from the Jolly Green Giant Collection.

Originally designed by Col. Mark Deaton. Made in Thailand. Circa 2008/11'.

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USAF 36th RQF Patch

USAF 36th Rescue Flight Patch

The 36th Rescue Squadron at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington is part of the 58th Operations Group. It was formerly part of the 336th Training Group at Fairchild. It operates Bell UH-1N Twin Huey aircraft conducting search and rescue missions in support of the US Air Force Survival School. The squadron was redesignated as the 36th Rescue Squadron on 14 August 2015.

The squadron was first activated in Japan during the Korean War and earned a Distinguished Unit Citation and a Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for its rescue missions during that war. It continued rescue operations in the Northern Pacific until 1972, except for a brief inactive period from 1960 tp 1961. The squadron has performed its current mission since activating in 1993 as the 36th Rescue Flight.

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USAF 36th RQF / Huey Driver Patch

USAF 36th Rescue Flight / Huey Driver Patch

Pretty rare version. Circa 2011/5

In May 1993 the squadron was activated at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington as the 36th Rescue Flight, when it replaced the 48th Rescue Squadron. It has operated helicopters for survival training since then, first operating under Fairchild's host wing's 92d Operations Group, then as part of the 336th Crew Training Group, which operates the survival school. It was expanded into the 36th Rescue Squadron in August 2015 and now reports to the 58th Operations Group, located at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.

In its role as a rescue unit, the squadron typically responds to between 15 and 20 calls for help annually, including searches conducted for lost aircraft and straying hikers. It has also evacuated people threatened by wildfires. The unit and its predecessor have been credited with rescuing 689 people since 1971 as of August 2015

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USAF 920th Operations Group / OD Green Patch

USAF 920th Operations Group / Combat Rescue / Kings / That others may live / OD Green Patch

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USAF 720th STG Patch

USAF 720th Special Tactics Group Patch

The 720th Special Tactics Group is one of the special operations ground components of the 24th Special Operations Wing, assigned to Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) of the United States Air Force. The group is headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The group is composed of geographically separated squadrons in five separate states; Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, North Carolina and Washington.

The Group's Special Tactics Squadrons are made up of Special Tactics Officers, Combat Controllers, Combat Rescue Officers, Pararescuemen, Special Operations Weather Technicians, Air Liaison Officers, Tactical Air Control Party personnel, and a number of combat support airmen which comprise 58 Air Force specialties.

Special Tactics Squadrons are organized, trained and equipped specifically for various special operations missions facilitating air operations on the battlefield. They conduct combat search and rescue missions, collect intelligence, as well as call in close air support or airstrikes against enemy combatants and are often partnered with other U.S. special operations forces overseas.

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WANTED!: USAF Pararescue / PJ-CRO / Class 11-01 Patch

WANTED!: USAF Pararescue / PJ-CRO / Class 11-01 / 

Satisfaction Since 1944 Patch

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USAF 21st SOS / Dust Devils Patch

USAF 21st Special Operations Squadron / Dust Devils Patch

The 21st Special Operations Squadron is a unit within the 352d Special Operations Group, United States Air Force, United States European Command, and was based at Royal Air Force base RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, eastern England.

The 21st Special Operations Squadron, which fell under the 352nd Special Operations Group, RAF Mildenhall, UK, was inactivated on 31 October 2007 with the inactivation ceremony taking place at RAF Mildenhall, UK on 9 October temporarily ending the Air Force Special Operations vertical lift mission in Europe. The inactivation of the Dust Devils was the first step in preparation for the arrival of the CV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft.

The 21st Special Operations Squadron's mission consisted of day or night, all-weather, low-level penetration of denied territory to provide infiltration, exfiltration, resupply, or fire support for elite air, ground, and naval forces. The unique capabilities of the MH-53J permitted the squadron to operate from unprepared landing zones.

The 21st Special Operations Squadron participated in a combat search and rescue mission for the pilot of a downed F-117A stealth fighter during the air campaign against Serbia and the forces of Yugoslavian president Slobodan Milošević. A radio transmission from a refueling tanker stating it had received no response from his F-117A customer. Then followed reports the stealth fighter was missing or shot down. Soon after, the MC-130P Combat Shadow crew took off en route to Bosnia-Herzegovina for a rendezvous with three rescue helicopters. Two were MH-53 Pave Lows, one from the 21st SOS and the other from the 20th SOS at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The third helicopter was an MH-60 Pave Hawk from the now inactivated 55th SOS at Hurlburt Field. The plan called for the rescue helicopters to refuel immediately before crossing the Serbian border to allow them to operate with full fuel tanks. After more than 90 minutes of orbiting close to the border, the call came from the helicopter crews for the desperately needed fuel that would enable them to continue the rescue mission. The refueling took place at the unusually low altitude of 700 feet within three miles of the Serbian border. President Clinton called the 352nd SOG commander to give personal thanks.

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USAF 58th SOW Patch

USAF 58th Special Operations Wing Patch

The 58th Special Operations Wing (58 SOW) is a combat unit of the United States Air Force stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. The 58 SOW is part of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) Nineteenth Air Force.

The 58 SOW serves as the premier training site for Air Force special operations and combat search and rescue aircrews. The wing provides undergraduate, graduate and refresher aircrew training for special operations, rescue, missile site support and distinguished visitor airlift helicopter, fixed-wing, and tilt-rotor operations. The wing employs more than 1,800 personnel and trains over 2,000 students a year.

The 58th Special Operations Wing’s mission is to train mission-ready special operations, combat search and rescue, missile site support, and UH-1 Distinguished Visitor airlift crews directly supporting Air Expeditionary Forces for the United States Air Force.

The wing operates eight different weapon systems: UH-1N, HH-60G, HC-130J, MC-130J, MC-130H, and CV-22 totaling more than 60 assigned aircraft. The wing teaches more than 100 courses in 18 different crew positions including pilot, navigator, electronic warfare officer, flight engineer, communications system operator, loadmaster and aerial gunner. Additionally, the wing responds to worldwide contingencies and provides search and rescue support to the local community.

The unit also provides people and airlift needed in response to crises around the world and assists civilian authorities in regional rescues. Supporting the 58th SOW training mission are approximately 1,250 military and civilian personnel administering over 90 training systems courses in 18 different crew positions.

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USAF 22nd STS Patch

USAF 22nd Special Tactics Squadron Patch

The 22d Special Tactics Squadron is a Special Tactics unit of the United States Air Force Special Operations Command, based at Joint Base Lewis–McChord.

Constituted and activated in 1984 as the 1722d Combat Control Squadron at McChord Air Force Base (later Joint Base Lewis–McChord), it participated in Operation Just Cause and the Gulf War. The squadron was redesignated the 62d Combat Control Squadron in 1992 and the 22d Special Tactics Squadron in 1996, when it became part of the 720th Special Tactics Group in 1996. The 22d STS has fought in the ongoing War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War.

On 17 December 2014, Pararescueman Master Sergeant Ivan Ruiz was awarded the Air Force Cross for saving the lives of two wounded Army Special Forces teammates on 10 December 2013 while deployed to Kandahar Province in Afghanistan with the 22nd STS.

Master Sgt. Ivan Ruiz, a pararescueman from the 56th Rescue Squadron, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, displays his Air Force Cross citation with Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James at the Freedom Hangar on Hurlburt Field, Fla., Dec 17, 2014. Ruiz earned the Air Force Cross while deployed with the 22nd Expeditionary Special Tactics Squadron, and assigned to the 23rd STS at Hurlburt Field, Fla. The last six Air Force Crosses have all been awarded to AFSOC Special Tactics Airmen. 

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USAF Pararescue / Blues Brothers Patch

USAF Pararescue / Blues Brothers / "No Ma'am. We're PJ's on a mission from DOD" Patch

Circa 1986

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USAF AFRCC / SMC Graduate Patch

Air Force Rescue Coordination Center / SAR Mission Coordinator Graduate Patch

Circa 2015/6'.

MISSION

The Commander, Air Forces Northern is the Inland Search and Rescue (SAR) Coordinator. The Air

Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) is designated as the SAR Mission Coordinator (SMC)

for the aeronautical Search and Rescue Region (SRR) corresponding to the continental US other than

Alaska, also known as the Langley SRR. The AFRCC seeks to encourage a cooperative SAR

network and help coordinate assistance for persons in distress.

AUTHORITY

The AFRCC mission is derived from international treaty requirements in the Chicago Convention

(ninth addition, 2006) and the International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue

(IAMSAR) Manual. These requirements are satisfied by the U.S. via the National Search and Rescue

Plan (NSP) and the National Search and Rescue Supplement (NSS) to the IAMSAR Manual. The

NSP and NSS provide the United States a national plan for coordinating SAR services to meet our

domestic needs and international commitments. Further implementation guidance is provided in

Department of Defense Instruction 3003.01, Support to Civil Search and Rescue and Air Force

Policy Directive 10-45, Air Force Support to Civil Search and Rescue.

TASKING AUTHORITY

The AFRCC has no command or control authority. The AFRCC supports domestic civil authorities

by coordinating Department of Defense (DoD) and other federal SAR services to the fullest extent

practicable on a non-interference basis with the unit’s primary duties, according to applicable

national directives, plans, guidelines, and agreements. No DoD or other federal resources are

assigned or tasked for the aeronautical civil SAR mission.

Staff Sgt. Jose Grimes, search and rescue duty officer with the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., monitors the radar as he coordinates with another agency during a SAR mission. Sergeant Grimes played a critical role in locating a downed aircraft March 7 near the Canadian border in Maine and coordinating bi-national assets to rescue the aircrew member who survived.

RESPONSIBILITIES

When managing SAR operations the AFRCC has the full operational authority of the Inland SAR

Coordinator. Specific responsibilities include:

- Coordinating SAR operations involving missing/overdue general aviation (GA) flights, interstate

aircraft flights, DoD aircraft, and commercial aircraft.

- Coordinating SAR operations in response to Emergency Beacon Alerts. The AFRCC receives

all COSPAS-SARSAT emergency beacon distress signals registered to the United States or those

originating from within its SRR. The AFRCC investigates the signal in coordination with

federal, state, and local officials and determines the required type and scope of response.

- Coordinating federal SAR capabilities (both Aeronautical and Inland) at the request of other

designated Rescue Control Centers (RCC), Federal and State SAR coordinators in support of

their civil SAR operations. Through SAR Agreements with other SAR Coordinators (SCs) and

their SMCs, the AFRCC may be a coordinating authority for specific SAR events outside the

Langley SRR. These events include mercy, patient transport, search, rescue, and search and

rescue unit (SRU) transport.

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USAF Pararescue / Jolly 51 / Memorial Patch

USAF Pararescue / Jolly 51 / That Others May Live / Memorial Patch

Made for the Pararescue Foundation in honor of the Crew of Jolly 51. Original art created for this patch. Made with a totally different technique, this patch it is not embroidered or woven, it actually use a Dye Sublimation (this method allowed the most detail to be retained). It has cut and stitched borders with velcro hook-and-loop backing. It is 4" tall and only 200 were made in the USA. April 2018.

On March 15 the Air Force Pararescuemen community lost 2 of his members when their HH60 Pave Hawk crashed in Iraq. All 7 men aboard Jolly 51 were killed. This has been a very hard time for their team and all the rescue community. 100% of profits from this patch will be donated to the Pararescue Foundation. This charity was quick to offer and give amazing support to the families of those killed and all the men involved.

For Bill Posch and Carl Enis. Rest in peace and Godspeed. "That Others May Live".

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USAF 54th ARS Patch

USAF 54th Air Rescue Squadron Patch

This has been the toughest hard to find patch ever in my collection! It took me 12 years seeking for these patch around the globe and finally got this late version of an iconic patch!

Made in Japan. Circa 1962/5'.

The squadron was first activated by MATS in November 1952 as the 54th Air Rescue Squadron at Goose Bay Airport, Labrador, Canada when Air Rescue Service expanded its squadrons into groups. At Goose, the new squadron assumed the personnel, equipment and mission of Flight D, 6th Air Rescue Squadron, which was simultaneously discontinued. The squadron performed search and rescue missions in Labrador and Greenland and the surrounding waters. The squadron was briefly inactivated in June 1960 but was restored to active duty at Goose the following June. Equipped with SB-17Gs and SB-29s as a component of the Air Rescue Service. Re-equipped with SC-54Ds and SA-16s during the mid-1950s and operated these until deactivated in 1966 following the USAF's withdrawal from Goose Bay.

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USAF 21st STS / Blue Team Morale Patch

USAF 21st Special Tactics Squadron / Blue Team / Blues Bros. / Morale Patch

Made in Afghanistan / Circa 2014/6

The 21st Special Tactics Squadron is one of the special tactics units of the United States Air Force Special Operations Command. It is garrisoned at Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina

Special Tactics Squadrons are organized, trained and equipped specifically for various special operations missions facilitating air operations on the battlefield. They conduct combat search and rescue missions, collect intelligence, as well as call in close air support or airstrikes against enemy combatants and are often partnered with other U.S. special operations forces overseas.

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USAF 54th HS / OD Green Patch

USAF 54th Helicopter Squadron / OD Green Patch

The 54th Helicopter Squadron is a unit of the United States Air Force based at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota. It is currently part of the 582d Helicopter Group. 

The 54th Helicopter Squadron's primary mission is to support the 91st Missile Wing with highly skilled pilots and flight engineers with well-maintained UH-1N helicopters to respond as necessary to make sure missile complexes scattered through North Dakota are safe and secure. The 54th HS allows the Air Force to respond quickly and effectively to emergency situations in a timely manner. 

Also, the helicopters can transport security forces guarding missile convoys transporting equipment or tactically insert them anywhere throughout the plains so they may react to security situations. 

Additionally, the 54th HS can also support medical evacuations, rescue searches and the transportation of distinguished visitors.

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USAF 305th RQS Patch

USAF 305th Rescue Squadron Patch

The 305th Rescue Squadron is part of the 943rd Rescue Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, a subordinate of the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. It operates HH-60 Pave Hawk aircraft conducting peacetime and combat search and rescue missions.

The 305th was originally activated at Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan in 1958 as the 305th Air Rescue Squadron. It trained for and performed search and rescue operations, primarily in the upper midwestern United States, from 1958 until 1992. It deployed personnel worldwide to support active duty forces and was called to active duty for eighteen months after the USS Pueblo incident. In 1985, a squadron crew earned the Koran Kolligan, Jr. Trophy, the highest safety award in the Air Force, for successfully landing their severely disabled HH-3 helicopter. The squadron was inactivated in 1992 and its aircraft transferred to the active Air Force or to storage.

The unit was again activated the following year at Davis-Monthan, where it was equipped with HH-60s in 1994. It has participated in most major operations in Southwest Asia since that date. It also flew rescue missions following Hurricane Katrina and is the only United States Air Force rescue unit that is capable of operating from ships.

The 305th was first activated as the 305th Air Rescue Squadron at Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan, in April 1958[2] and was assigned four Grumman SA-16A Albatross amphibious aircraft and 90 personnel. Its gaining command was the Air Rescue Service of Military Air Transport Service. The 305th supported local peacetime rescue operations while maintaining combat deployable status. It also participated in foreign training exercises with Brazil, Honduras and Venezuela. The squadron's peacetime operations included the recovery of eleven seamen from a sinking Canadian freighter in Lake Erie and the transport of fourteen workers critically injured from a factory accident.

In late 1965, the unit began to replace its SA-16s with Boeing HC-97 Stratofreighters, and in January 1966 it was redesignated as the 305th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron.[2][4] During 1966 and 1967 the unit provided rescue cover for Operation Hi-Cat, which involved research on turbulence at high altitude by Lockheed U-2 aircraft.

The squadron was called to active duty following the USS Pueblo incident in January 1968 and deployed personnel and equipment to the Far East. While on active duty, it earned both an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and a Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross w/ Palm. It was returned to reserve status in June 1969. Other deployments included locations in Libya, Spain, North Africa, Greece, Germany, Italy, England, Iceland, and Southeast Asia.

In 1972 the unit upgraded to Lockheed HC-130 Hercules aircraft, which gave the squadron the capability to refuel rescue helicopters. The unit participated in the test and evaluation of the Air Force's C-130 Self-Contained Navigation System and also provided support for space shuttle missions. Four years later, the squadron added its first rotary wing aircraft when it was assigned Sikorsky HH-3 Jolly Green Giant helicopters. It continued to operate a combination of HC-130s and HC-3s until 1992. For part of this period, it also flew the CH-3 cargo model of the H-3.

AF Reserve HH-3 hoisting crewmen in 1981

In 1985, Major Larry Brooks and his crew earned the Koran Kolligan, Jr. Trophy, the highest safety award in the Air Force, for successfully landing their severely disabled HH-3 helicopter after one of the engines exploded. During the 1980s, the 305th also provided rescue coverage for tactical fighter and Army units deploying from the United States to Europe.

In 1991, pararescue personnel from the squadron deployed to the Persian Gulf to support the Liberation of Kuwait campaign. The squadron deployed personnel and aircraft to Naval Air Station Keflavík, Iceland, during and after the Gulf War. In 1992, with the drawdown of active and reserve forces, the squadron's HC-130 Hercules aircraft was transferred to active duty units and its HH-3 Jolly Green helicopters were retired. The 305th was inactivated on 30 September 1992.

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Signed Picture of USS Indianapolis Rescue Crew 34

Signed Picture of USS Indianapolis Rescue Crew 34

Hand signed 5x7 photograph by crew members of the USS Indianapolis Survivors Rescue Teams.  The signatures are all original hand signed by 5 veterans.  This photograph came from a USS Indianapolis / Atomic Bomb autograph collection and is related to Project Alberta and related efforts.  This is the ONLY photograph that I have of this kind and it's rare to see supporting signed items like this. Signatures include Floyd Etheridge, Roy Sutrov, Marion Smith, William Higbee and Fred Needham.

USS Indianapolis (CL/CA-35) was a Portland-class heavy cruiser of the United States Navy, named for the city of Indianapolis, Indiana. The vessel served as the flagship for the commander of Scouting Force 1 for eight pre-war years, then as flagship for Admiral Raymond Spruance, in 1943 and 1944, while he commanded the Fifth Fleet in battles across the Central Pacific in World War II.

USS Indianapolis (CA-35), 27 September 1939

In 1945, the sinking of Indianapolis led to the greatest single loss of life at sea, from a single ship, in the history of the US Navy. The ship had just finished a high-speed trip to United States Army Air Force Base at Tinian to deliver parts of Little Boy, the first nuclear weapon ever used in combat, and was on her way to the Philippines on training duty. At 0015 on 30 July 1945 the ship was torpedoed by the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I-58, and sank in 12 minutes. Of 1,195 crewmen aboard, approximately 300 went down with the ship. The remaining 900 faced exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning, and shark attacks while floating with few lifeboats and almost no food or water. The Navy learned of the sinking when survivors were spotted four days later by the crew of a PV-1 Ventura on routine patrol. Only 316 survived.

Drowned sailors in the waters of the Pacific, fighting against sunburn, dehydration, while encircled by sharks. The predators came to the scene from miles around. A frenzy followed for the ever hungry sharks, attracted by the countless dead bodies and later they started attacking the survivors of which many were in the water. 

It was the largest Shark attack ever in naval history and the heroic role of a single PBY Catalina that arrived on the horror scene where hundreds of sailors were adrift in the open ocean for more than three days.

A USAAF Consolidated OA-10A Catalina (Army Air Forces designation of the Navy PBY) amphibious flying boat.

It all happened in the closing days of the Pacific war when the Heavy Cruiser USS Indianapolis was torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-58, causing the second largest US naval disaster after the Pearl Harbor attack in December 1941. To make things worse, the mighty battleship sank so fast that no SOS/ distress signal could be sent out or was not picked up, leaving nearly 900 sailors adrift for days in the shark-infested waters of the mid-Pacific.

 Lt. Adrian Marks (4th from right) and his crew, in front of their Dumbo PBY-5A Catalina, the heroes involved in the rescue operation after the shipwrecking of the USS Indianapolis on 2 August 1945. Lieutenant Marks paid tribute to the sailors he rescued and to all others who had undergone this horrifying ordeal. Speaking at the 1975 survivors’ reunion, he said: ”I met you 30 years ago, I met you on a sparkling, sun-swept afternoon of horror. I have known you through a balmy tropic night of fear. I will never forget you.”

On 19 August 2017, a search team financed by Paul Allen located the wreckage of the sunken cruiser in the Philippine Sea lying at a depth of approximately 18,000 ft (5,500 m).

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CMSgt Ramon Colon-Lopez Signed Lithograph

CMSgt Ramon Colon-Lopez Signed Lithograph

PJ Ramon Colon-Lopez was a member of the 24th STS twice. From February 1999 – January 2005 Colon-Lopez was a Special Tactics Element Leader and April 2009 – April 2011 he was the Squadron's Senior Enlisted Advisor. In 2007 Colon-Lopez was one of the first six recipients of the newly created Air Force Combat Action Medal. He was awarded the AFCAM for a 2004 operation in Afghanistan during which he led an Advance Force Operations Team.

From 1999 to 2005 Colón-López was a member of the 24th Special Tactics Squadron as a Special Tactics Element Leader. While a member of the 24th STS, from July 2002 to September 2004, Colón-López was deployed four times to Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan as part of a joint task force to several classified locations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. While deployed he participated in a series of joint operations, including direct assaults and combat search and rescue missions. During this time he also protected future Afghanistan president, Hamid Karzai, and received his first Bronze Star Medal with valor for his actions under fire while supporting Karzai's security detail. His second Bronze Star Medal was for his actions after his helicopter was shot down during a mission in Afghanistan. After the helicopter crash-landed two Navy SEALs and Colón-López assaulted fortified enemy positions, killing five combatants and ensuring the safety of the remaining crew.[2] He was selected to create and implement the unit's compartmented Personnel Recovery Advance Force Operations team, which serviced the entire Joint Special Operations arena.

On March 11, 2004, Colón-López together with his Advance Force Operations Team and elements of the Afghan National Strike Unit, participated in an operation which required the capture of a high-level target and a follow-on site exploitation with the intention of preventing the proliferation of chemical weapons. His helicopter drew hostile enemy fire yet Colón-López continued on his mission, which resulted in two enemy kills, the capture of 10 enemy troops and the destruction of multiple rocket-propelled grenades and small caliber weapons. In January 2005, after Colón-López returned to the United States, he was named Superintendent of Training and later as interim Commandant of the Pararescue and Combat Rescue Officer School.

Chief Master Sergeant Ramon “CZ” Colon-Lopez is the Command Senior Enlisted Leader for Headquarters U.S. Africa Command, (HQ U.S. AFRICOM). 

Chief Colon-Lopez enlisted in the United States Air Force in December 1990. He has held assignments in U.S. Air Forces Europe, Air Combat Command, Air Force Special Operations Command, Air Education and Training Command, Pacific Air Forces, Joint Special Operations Command, and Air Forces Central Command. He has deployed numerous times in support of Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, NORTHERN WATCH, ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, NEW DAWN, RESOLUTE SUPPORT, INHERENT RESOLVE, and several other locations. Before assuming his current position, he served as the Senior Enlisted Advisor, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Headquarters United States Air Force, Pentagon, Washington D.C. He assumed his current duties on 7 September 2016.

CMSgt. Colón-López in Afghanistan in 2004.

EDUCATION

1991 USAF Traffic Management School, Sheppard AFB, Texas.

1994 USAF Pararescue Selection Course (OL-H), Lackland AFB, Texas.

1995 Special Forces Underwater Operations (SFUWO) Combat Diver Course, NAS Key West, Fla.

1996 Pararescue Apprentice Course, Kirtland AFB, N.M.

1997 Airman Leadership School, Holloman AFB, N.M.

2000 SFUWO Dive Medical Technician Course, NAS Key West, Fla 

2001 Airborne Jumpmaster Course, Little Creek NAS, Va. 

2003 Military Freefall Jumpmaster Course, Yuma PG, Ariz.

2003 Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Ala.

2005 Basic Instructor Course, Lackland AFB, Texas.

2005 Associate degree in Survival and Rescue Operations, Community College of the Air Force. 

2005 USAF Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy (correspondence)

2007 USAF Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Ala.

2009 Chief Leadership Course, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Ala.

2011 Senior Enlisted Joint PME (correspondence)

2011 Keystone - National Defense University, Ft. McNair, Washington D.C. 

2012 Gettysburg Leadership Experience, Gettysburg, Pa.

2012 USAF Leadership Enhancement Program, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, N.C. 

2012 Latin America: A Political-Economic Conflict Seminar, Washington D.C.

2015 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C.

2017 National and International Security Leadership Seminar, Washington D.C.

2017 Bachelor of Science in Management Studies (Cum Laude), University of Maryland, Md.

2017 Associate degree in Management Studies, University of Maryland, Md.

2017 Professional Manager’s Certification, University of Maryland, Md.

ASSIGNMENTS

1.April 1991 - October 1992, Traffic Management Specialist, 7276 ABG, Iraklion AS, Crete, Greece

2.October 1992 - September 1994, Traffic Management Journeyman, 12th Tran Sq, Randolph AFB, Texas

3.September 1994 - October 1996, Pararescue student, Det 1 342 TRS, Kirtland AFB, N.M.

4.October 1996 - February 1999, Pararescue Journeyman, 48th Rescue Sq, Holloman AFB, N.M.

5.February 1999 - January 2005, Special Tactics Element Leader, 24th STS, Pope AFB, N.C.

6.January 2005 - November 2006, Training Supt. /CEM, USAF PJ/CRO School, Kirtland AFB, N.M.

7.November 2006 - April 2009, Commandant, USAF PJ/CRO School, Kirtland AFB, N.M.

8.April 2009 - April 2011, Senior Enlisted Advisor, 24th Special Tactics Sq, Pope AFB, N.C.

9.April 2011 - November 2011, Group Superintendent, 724th Special Tactics Group, Pope AAF, N.C.

10.November 2011 - January 2013, Command Chief, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla.

11.January 2013 - June 2014, Command Chief, 18th Wing, Kadena AB, Japan

12.June 2014 - June 2016, Command Chief, United States Air Forces Central Command, Southwest Asia

13.July 2016 - September 2016, Senior Enlisted Advisor, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

14.September 2016 - Present, Command Senior Enlisted Leader, U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany.

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit

Bronze Star Medal with Valor and oak leaf cluster Defense Meritorious Service Medal

Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters Air Medal with oak leaf cluster

Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster Joint Service Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster

Air Force Combat Action Medal

Presidential Unit Citation with oak leaf cluster Navy Presidential Unit Citation

Air Force Recognition Ribbon with oak leaf cluster

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

1994 Senior Airman Below-the-Zone.

1997 Leadership Award, Airman Leadership School.

1998 Air Combat Command (ACC) Pararescue Noncommissioned Officer of the Year.

2003 Commandant's Award and Distinguished Graduate, Gunter NCO Academy.

2004 Air Force Pararescue Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year.

2005 Air Force Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award recipient, Senior Noncommissioned Officer. 

2005 Team Kirtland Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year.

2006 Jaycee's Ten Outstanding Young Americans USAF nominee to U.S. Chamber of Commerce. 

2013 Gathering of Eagles Inductee, USAF Air Command and Staff College.

2017 Induction, Distinguished Veteran’s Hall of Fame, Puerto Rico.

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION

Chief Master Sergeant Dec 1, 2009 (Current as of October 2017).

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Msgs. Scott Fales Signed Lithograph

Msgs. Scott C. Fales Signed Lithograph

Master Sergeant Scott C. Fales distinguished himself by gallantry in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force in Mogadishu, Somalia, from 3 October 1993 to 4 October 1993. On these dates, Sergeant Fales, a 24th Special Tactics Squadron Pararescueman, was attached to a joint service search and rescue security team tasked to respond to the crash of a United States UH-60 helicopter. While conducting an initial assessment at the crash site, Sergeant Fales was seriously wounded in an intense fire fight involving small arms and rocket propelled grenades. 

Disregarding the trauma of his own wound, he continued to provide medical care to his team and provide devastating covering fire against repeated enemy attacks. Sergeant Fales’ technical expertise, personal courage and total disregard for his own personal safety were paramount to the ultimate success of the search and rescue security team mission. His decisive actions in providing expert trauma care to wounded members of his team despite his own wounded condition were paramount in limiting the number of American casualties and in bringing the extraction operation to conclusion as expeditiously as possible. By his gallantry and devotion to duty, Sergeant Fales has reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

Air Force Master Sgt. Scott Fales stands in front of "Super 6-8" featured in the movie "Black Hawk Down".

His extensive career in Special Operations has spanned more than three decades both in uniform and as a civil servant. As a "PJ," Fales was recognized by the Jolly Green's Association performing "Rescue of the Year" twice and in 1992 he was one of the Air Force's 12 Outstanding Airman. His combat experiences were on the battlefields of Panama, Iraq and Somalia. His work as a civilian with the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency has been instrumental in the rescue of hostages around the world.

Fales was born in Hagarstown, Md., and grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of western Maryland. Living an adventurous childhood, Fales would spend entire summers living completely outside. Enlisting in March 1977, Fales served three years as a Security Policeman. One day he noticed some men running across a ramp on a flightline at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

Fales would become a Pararescuman in October 1980 and spend the next decade being assigned at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona; Keflavik Naval Air Station, Iceland; and Kirtland AFB, New Mexico. In 1982 he received the Jolly Green Association "Rescue of the Year Award" for the rescue of eight victims of an aircraft crash high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. While in Iceland, he led over 40 rescue missions in the Icelandic mountains, glaciers and the frigid North Atlantic, saving 56 lives and earned the 1986 Jolly Green Association "Mission of the Year."

In December 1989, Fales would get his first combat experience when he was part of the first wave of assault aircraft in Operation Just Cause, where he made a night combat parachute jump to seize Torios-Tacuman International Airport in Panama.

"His role was to get the airfield up and running, be prepared to treat and evacuate the wounded, and be on call for the next mission," said retired Col. Craig Brotchie, former 720th Special Tactics Group commander. "It was the wet season, we were concerned about ground fog, coming in there at night with C-141 aircraft, so we were concerned about getting a navigation aid in on the ground to assist the airplanes. If we don't have a successful airdrop at Torios-Tacuman then we are operating from a secondary position."

Fales whose first job was to set up a navigational aid described they had practiced extensively for the mission, but there is always a fear of uncertainty and combat situations are often fluid.

"I was jumping with a jump clearing team, which is team of guys who are out first over the airfield and our job is to make sure the airfield is open," said Fales. "I remember inside the airplane they came back from the cockpit and yelled 'Hey, they know you are coming. We intercepted a phone call and they know what time you will be there.' Everybody is thinking 'Great, good news for us.' We figured it would be a little rougher than we anticipated."

Echoing the fear of uncertainty jumping into Panama retired Chief Master Sgt. Les Wolfe, a fellow PJ, described the combat night jump.

"As you can imagine, a lot of the things the warriors were faced with in Panama, as with any conflict, couldn't be anticipated. You know if you step out of an airplane you are going to fall to the ground, but you didn't know when you were under canopy they were going to pick you off while you were descending," said Wolfe. "That wasn't really anticipated, but that is exactly what took place. Consequently, a lot of the war-related injuries took place before the Soldier even hit the ground."

Fales and the American forces would ultimately be successful and depose Dictator Manuel Noriega.

In April 1990 Fales was selected for duty at the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, where he rose to non-commissioned office in charge of an operational Special Tactics team. While there he fought in Operation Desert Storm where he conducted classified recovery missions in western Iraq.

In August of 1993 Fales was assigned to Task Force Ranger in Mogadishu, Somalia. On the fateful day of Oct. 3, he led the search and rescue of "Super 6-1" a Black Hawk helicopter shot down by a rocket propelled grenade. Fales and fellow PJ, Tech. Sgt. Timothy Wilkinson, who would earn the Air Force Cross for actions at Mogadishu, were flying in "Super 6-8" toward the crash site.

Air Force Special Operations Team, Somalia. During the Battle of Mogadishu Technical Sergeant Tim Wilkinson (pararescue) would receive the Air Force Cross, while Sergeants Scott Fales (pararescue) and Jeff Bray (combat controller) would receive Silver Stars. Sergeants Wilkinson and Fales had been part of the 15-package combat search and rescue team for Super 64 (Black Hawk Down) while Sergeant Bray had been attached to the Ranger force sent to capture Aideed’s top lieutenants.

"Normally when you assess a crash site one of our tactics is to turn hard over the top of the site and look down on top of it to see exactly what you have and then come back and set up on an approach and either land or fast rope to the crash," Fales said. "In this particular case, (Super 6-1) brownout was very bad, the enemy situation was very bad, enemy fire was very high, to include lots of RPGs being fired at the helicopter in the sky, so it was made clear we were only going to have one attempt. So we basically flew straight to the relative vicinity of the crash site."

"At one point, I distinctly recall looking at Scott as we sat opposite of each other in the cabin and as we were moving and gyrating getting ready to come in with the flare and posture we just looked at each other, made eye contact and nodded, 'ok here we go,'" Wilkinson said.

"We fast roped into the street. During that fast rope it raised a tremendous amount of dust and you couldn't see anything. As we collected at the crash the enemy zeroed in on our location and steady rifle fire increased and while all of that was happening I was hit in the leg," said Fales.

Retired Col. Ken Rodriguez, Fales' former commander, described his tenacity that day and his refusal to stop fighting even after being wounded.

"Some things that strike me about his actions on the third and fourth of October, them going into the fray the way they did, going down the ropes, firefight ensuing, the helicopter they are fast roping from gets hit by an RPG while they are on the ropes and all hell is breaking loose," Rodriguez said. "After he gets wounded, he continues to care for the wounded and returned deadly accurate fire, and at one point, finally has to give himself an IV to keep from going into shock. Just amazing."

For his actions that day Fales received the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. Lessons he learned that day would provide the foundation for future combat search and rescue (CSAR) training to both active duty SOF and the Joint Service Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape Agency.

"I can tell we had not done an engagement like that, at that time in 1993, since Vietnam," said Fales. "We had not done any urban CSAR, a real close-quarter urban CSAR, a downed helicopter being swarmed by enemy personnel. It was a tremendous amount of lessons learned and it drove training programs for us for a long time."

Retiring from the active duty Air Force in April of 1997 Fales joined the Joint Service SERE Agency as a personnel recovery operations officer. While there, he instructed personnel recovery courses, developed specialized training for sensitive SOF and reconnaissance operators, and assisted the Department of State to develop recovery capabilities in support of counter-drug operations in Central and South America. In 1999 the Joint Services SERE Agency and the Joint Combat Search and Rescue Agency merged and became the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency and is headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Va.

The ingenuity and tenacity Fales had as a PJ was quickly recognized by his colleagues at JPRA.

"Scottie told me a project I was working on would go forward and asked me to write up the requirements for the government acceptance tests. The one thing I didn't have was an RJ, (Rivet Joint aircraft) a very specific aircraft," said Brian Healy, JPRA colleague. "It was no more than seven days later I was out in New Mexico and as I was working with this technology, 30,000 feet above me, was an RJ flying overhead. That was a direct result of Scottie. I don't know how he did it. That was the one big, big hurdle we needed for this test. I still don't know to this day how he did it."

In April 2006, Fales returned to the Joint Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, N.C., serving as the JPRA Command Representative to JSOC, providing personnel recovery, technical surveillance, advice, expertise and assistance to the commander of JSOC. Today, Fales is the Director of Personnel Recovery for the 724th Special Tactics Group.

Fales' more than 30 years in Special Operations, significant contributions on the battlefield and his dogged commitment to American CSAR training is why he was selected as the 2012 Bull Simons recipient. Reflecting on his memories and experiences Fales describes the essence of SOF nostalgically.

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