This definitive work on air rescue operations of the US Army Air Force and US Air Force takes the reader from the birth of the service during World War II, through the Korean and Vietnam Wars, to present-day operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Detailed text, accompanied by numerous photos--including many never before published--presents all aspects of air rescue operations, from the service's founding, specialized training and equipment, and discussions of such varied aircraft types as the Stinson L-5, Douglas SC-47, Douglas HCSC-54D Rescuemaster, Fairchild SC-82A Packet, Boeing HC-97G Strato-Rescuer, Bell H-1 Huey, Sikorsky H-3 Jolly Green Giant, and many more. During the Cold War, this air arm expanded greatly and added the new mission of astronaut recovery through the early years of the US space program, as well as providing humanitarian aid during natural disasters worldwide. Air rescue came into its own during the war in Vietnam, when it became a highly skilled and effective force