1HS

1st Helicopter Squadron Mission

1st Helicopter Squadron

Deliver Continuous, Immediate-response Capability Vital to National Security
Provide Priority Airlift for National-level Civil and Military Senior Leadership in the National Capital Region (NCR)
Support Joint Force Headquarters – NCR tasked Defense to Civil Authority, Search and Recover and Medical Evacuation

1st HS Key Leadership

Col Bill Root

Commander

Lt Col Jeremy Powell

Vice Commander

1st HS History

August 5, 1955 - 1401st HF established as Presidential Support. The 1401st was initially equipped with two CH-21 Shawnee and four H-19 Chickasaw aircraft
July 12, 1957 - President Eisenhower became the 1st President to fly in a helicopter when the 1401st HF landed a UH-13J Sioux on the White House lawn
October 1, 1957 - Renamed the 1001st Helicopter Flight
August 1, 1961 - 1001st Helicopter Flight moved to Bolling, AFB & Renamed 1001st Helicopter Squadron
February 1, 1967 - 1001st HS begins flying the UH-1F Huey
Circa 1967 - 1001st receives its first Outstanding Unit Award
Circa 1967 - The two UH-13Js were retired, with one being sent to the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB, and the other to the Smithsonian
Circa 1967 - The unit returned to its original location at Joint Base Andrews, MD
May 1, 1968 - Lt Col Gerald O. Young (an alumnus of the squadron) awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for heroics in Vietnam
July 1, 1970 - Unit renamed 1st Helicopter Squadron (1 HS) over the next year
August 1, 1970 - CH-3E Jolly Green Giant aircraft were also integrated into the 1 HS, which, over the next year, replaced the UH-1F & CH-21
April 1, 1971 - 1 HS receives the UH-1N Huey
July 2, 1974 - Then-Vice President Richard Nixon aboard a Huey after the retirement ceremony for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Moorer
Circa 1974 - President Johnson aboard a Huey at Joint Base Andrews
September 30, 1980 - Reached 100,000 hour accident-free mark becoming the first helicopter squadron ever to do so.
January 13, 1982 - The 1 HS was instrumental in the recovery efforts after an airliner crashed into the 14th St. Bridge
March 3, 2001 - Vice President Cheney honored the squadron’s 200,000 hour mark
September 11, 2001 - Key player in Emergency Evacuation of NCR
September 13, 2010 - USAF Verne Orr Award Winner
November 1, 2010 - 1 HS splits into two squadrons; 811 OSS and 1 HS make up the 811th OG
July 1, 2019 - Squadron celebrates 50 years of excellence

Personnel

Officers
- All pilots
Enlisted
- Flight Engineer
- Command Post Controllers
- Aircrew Resource Management
- Commander Support Staff
Deployed
365 day – Afghanistan
Average 2-4 members deployed
Maintenance Support
811 OSS & Civilian contractors
24/7 Alert Ops

Past Aircraft

Boeing
- H-21 Shawnee (1955-71)
Sikorsky
- H-19 Chickasaw (1955-67)
- CH-3 Jolly Green (1970-88)
Bell
- UH-13 Ranger (1957-67)
- UH-1F Huey (1967-71)

Present Aircraft

UH-1N Huey (1971-Present)
Primary Function: Utility
Builder: Bell Helicopter Co.
Power Plant: Pratt & Whitney T400-CP-400
Range: 250 Nautical Miles
Ceiling: 10,000 Feet
Speed: 100 Knots Cruise
Date Deployed: 1970
Crew: Two or Three: Pilot and Co-pilot or Pilot and Flight Engineer