305th Rescue Squadron  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 Rescue Squadron is trained and equipped to conduct day or night combat search and rescue missions worldwide with the HH-60G Pavehawk helicopter. Its primary mission is to penetrate enemy territory, recover downed aircrews, and return them to friendly forces. Additionally, the squadron flies search and rescue missions within the United States. It searches for, locates and recovers personnel involved with United States defense activities and provides search and rescue support of civilians as directed by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center The squadron also provides humanitarian and disaster relief operations at the request of foreign governments and the International Civil Aviation Organization. If called to active duty, the unit's gaining command is Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. The 305th was first activated as the 305th Air Rescue Squadron at Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan, in April 1958 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.