1st Helicopter Squadron

Mission

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 Rescue, and Medical Evacuation

1st HS History

• August 5, 1955 - 1401st Helicopter Flight 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 first 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 HF
• August 1, 1961 - 1001st HF moved to Bolling AFB and renamed to 1001st Helicopter Squadron
• February 1, 1967 - 1001st 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, Maryland
• May 1, 1968 - Lt. Col. Gerald O. Young (an alumnus of the squadron) awarded the Medal of Honor for heroics in the Vietnam War
• July 1, 1970 - Unit renamed 1st Helicopter Squadron over the next year
• August 1, 1970 - CH-3E Jolly Green Giant aircraft were also integrated into the 1 HS, which replaced the UH-1F and 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 making up the 811 OG
• July 1, 2019 - Squadron celebrated 50 years of excellence

Personnel

• Officers​
  • ​Pilots
• Enlisted
  • Flight Engineers
  • Command Post Controllers
  • Aircrew Resource Managers
  • Commander's Support Staff
• Deployments
  • 365 Day - Afghanistan
  • Average 2-4 members deployed
  • 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
• Building: 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, Pilot and Co-pilot or Pilot and Flight Engineer