After over three decades serving as an essential part of the Air Force’s combat search and rescue operations, the HH-60G Pave Hawk flew once more before retiring from service.
Two weeks ago, a divestment ceremony and final flight was held for the last operational Pave Hawk from the California Air National Guard’s 129th Rescue Wing at Moffett Air National Guard Base, California, according to a recent release.
“The ceremony commemorated more than the retirement of tail number 27045,” the announcement reads. “It honored a legacy built by the pilots, special mission aviators, pararescuemen, maintainers and support personnel who transformed the Pave Hawk from a helicopter into a symbol of hope and survival.”
From serving in combat zones in Afghanistan and Iraq to assisting communities devastated by disasters in California, the aircraft represents the people who kept it operational and the lives it helped save.
The aircraft from the 129th supported missions following hurricanes Katrina, Ike and Harvey as well as carrying crews during Afghanistan deployments, assisting in more than 300 combat saves.
“When you’re flying the [Pave Hawk], you kind of become one with that machine,” Lt. Col. Benjamin Buchta, HH-60 pilot and commander of the 129th Rescue Squadron, said in the release. “The Golf feels like home when I sit in it.”
When the Air Force converted six Army UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters into HH-60G Pave Hawks, the tail number 27045, the last operational Pave Hawk was one of them.
For many airmen, the Pave Hawk was the aircraft they learned their profession on, deployed with and devoted their lives to in an effort to help save others, the release highlights.
The Pave Hawk built the helicopter search and rescue community into what it is today, Buchta said, since it’s the “cornerstone” for many current Air Force tactics.
“While the last HH-60G has flown its final Air Force mission, the legacy those Airmen built will continue wherever rescue crews answer the call to bring someone home,” the release reads.
The Air Force is transitioning to the next-generation combat search and rescue helicopter, the HH-60W Jolly Green II, with advanced technology and increased capabilities.
Cristina Stassis is a reporter covering stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She previously worked as an editorial fellow for Defense News in 2024 where she assisted the newsroom in breaking news across Sightline Media Group.