The motto of the 129th Rescue Wing of the California Air National Guard is “In Peace and War, During Night and Day.” The motto of the Air Force Rescue community is “That Others May Live.” Since 1977, the 129th Rescue Wing and its Guardian Angel pararescue teams have saved more than 1,000 lives during successful combat and civilian search and rescue missions in the United States and around the world.
The organization’s history of service began in April 1955 when the 129th Air Resupply Group was activated at Hayward Airport, California. After a series of refinements to its name and objectives, the 129th Rescue Wing (RQW) moved to Moffett Field in 1984. Approximately 1,000 individuals currently contribute to its significant initiatives. Its federal mission is to “train, prepare and conduct worldwide combat search and rescue operations, over land or water, in both hostile and permissive environments. The 129th Rescue Wing also provides Agile Combat Support capabilities to Combatant Commanders.” Its mission for the State of California is to “support the Governor's office during state emergencies and contingencies by providing a wide range of capabilities, including specialized search and rescue and aerial fire-fighting.”
MC-130P Combat Shadow aircraft, HC-130J Combat King II aircraft, and HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters are at the heart of the 129th RQW’s endeavors. For many years, the 129th Maintenance Group was based in Hangar 3, where it provided around-the-clock aircraft maintenance support for all combat and peacetime operations. The hangar's offices were also utilized by various departments of the 129th RQW. Since the aging Hangar 3 structure needed extensive improvements and was almost seven times the size of what was needed by the California Air National Guard, a new Composite Maintenance Hangar was built in 2003. State-of-the-art training facilities, a six-story-high parachute drying tower, engine maintenance shops, garages, storage buildings, and other technical spaces were constructed in 2015 to support the 129th RQW’s multifaceted missions.