The 176th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

The 176 Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (AMXS) provides mission-ready aircraft and sortie generation specializing in Combat Search and Rescue and Strategic Airlift for the 144th Airlift Squadron, the 210th Rescue Squadron, 211th Rescue Squadron and 249th Airlift Squadron of the 176th Wing. The men and women of the 176 AMXS are responsible for the day-to-day repairs, inspections, arming and safety for the most diverse Maintenance Group in the Air National Guard. Our aircraft, consisting of HC-130J and HH-60G 176th Wing aircraft plus Active Duty C-17 aircraft in an Associate Unit based at Elmendorf AFB, AK, have flown over 202,000 accident-free flying hours to date. Our professional maintainers have enabled these aircraft to be deployed down range to support the War on Terrorism since 2001.

The Combat Search and Rescue unit is one of the most active search and rescue units in the United States and consists of 4 incoming HC-130J Combat King II aircraft as well as 6 HH-60G Pave-Hawk aircraft. The combined services of these aircraft have saved over 400 lives in 18 short years. Search and rescue includes a variety of missions: lost hunters, hikers or Alzheimer's patients; emergency locator transmitter signals; and missing aircraft. At home, rescue assets are routinely dispatched to provide aid and transportation to people needing medical attention in remote or isolated areas, for emergency organ or blood transportation, or for medical evacuations, when civilian resources are not available. The HC-130H3 (soon to be replaced by incoming HC-130J) section flew 615 sorties and were credited with 28 people saved, 5 assists while the HH-60G section flew 956 sorties, crediting the unit with 46 people saved, none of which could have happened without the excellent care our professional maintainers provide.

The HC-130J "Combat King II" specializes in aerial refueling of the unit helicopters as well as aerial mission support. In addition to their busy schedule in Alaska, the HC's actively support world-wide taskings; deploying for OPERATION Enduring Freedom, staged out of Djibouti, Africa and multiple training exercises in the lower 48.

The HH-60 or "Pave hawk" is the heart of the rescue mission in Alaska. Our ability to constantly maintain the operational readiness of the Pave hawks allows them to be utilized not only for service to Alaska, but also to the nation for domestic and international purposes. The HH-60 section has deployed for OPERATION Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan; Hong Kong SAREX; and Pacific Angel in recent years. Despite our geographical distance, we were selected for short-notice Hurricane Relief for Gustav/Ike in Texas, September 2008.

The members of the Weapons section are responsible for the upkeep, installation, and arming of the Pave hawk's guns. They are kept busy at home as the HH-60's fly training missions, but really shine during deployments for Enduring Freedom.

In September of 2007, our mission grew when the second largest airframe of the USAF was added to our maintenance family. The Strategic Airlift section's (8) C-17 "Globemasters" have hit the ground running, flying more than 1400 hours in their first year of operation to world-wide destinations including Hawaii and the Middle East. The addition of the Strategic Airlift mission has added a valuable tool to our rescue mission as we now have the capability to move our own helicopter and maintainers to and from emergency and deployment locations, as was demonstrated during OPERATION Enduring Freedom and Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008.


Parent Unit

The 176th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron is a component of the 176th Maintenance Group.


Contact Information 

Rescue: (907) 551-7623
DSN: (317) 551-7623
Airlift: (907) 551-5155
DSN: (317) 551-5155

Location

16468 Airlifter Drive
JBER, AK 99506

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