For those born after 1990, if is difficult to understand how documentation was done before personal computers, cell phones and tablets. Before then, most documentation was done by hand writing. During the Vietnam War, the JRCC would make annotations concerning a SAR into 8.5x14" record books and rescue forms. The date/time of notification of SAR objective and all actions concerning a SAR were written down. Example pages from a record book is provided below. Most radio communications concerning the mission were mentioned in the record book. Listening to several radios at the same time can be chaotic and even when the radio transmissions are clear, two or more persons transmitting at the same time could block each other out. Rescue forms were filled in by pencil and later typed. These are the forms presented in this section of the website. The state of the art typewriter during this war was the electric IBM Selectric.

The reason Combat Rescue Officers (CROs) are not listed in any of these documents is that the CRO career field was not established until 8 December 2000.

	Click for Example Entries	IBM Selectric Typewriter	Click for Full Size Example
	Examples of the low tech used by the JRCC used by the JRCC circa 1960's thru 1970s consisted of logbooks, typewriters, and pre-printed forms that were first penciled in and then later transcribe using typewriters. Computers with word processing software came into use in late 1980s and revolutionized record keeping.

At this time we do not have the JRCC Record Books online. That is because the Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA) has not released many of them into the public domain. Their reason is that there are hundreds of social security numbers in each book and over 100 JRCC Record Books in their archives. The example provided is shown to provide you with the types information on documentation done by the JRCC for every SAR they managed.

This section provides the JRCC rescue forms from 1965 thru 1973. The JRCC shut down operations in South Vietnam on
March 29, 1973 ending direct military involvement in Vietnam. However, the U.S. continued aerial combat operation in Laos until 17 April, 1973.
These save forms do not include the 1975 Mayaguez Combat Rescue which used both USAF Air Rescue HH-53's and USAF Special Operations
CH-53's helicopters. It also does not included Non Combat SARs flown between 1973 and 1975.

The forms are broken into two groups: COMBAT SAVES and NON COMBAT SAVES. The delineation between COMBAT and NON-COMBAT
was decided by the JRCC controllers on duty during the mission. SARs where the rescue aircraft came under fire were listed as COMBAT saves.
All missions in Laos and North Vietnam were also listed as COMBAT saves.

Important Note: The search function does not work well for these forms. Many of the entries are not very legible hence the search is unable to read them.
If you are looking for a specific SAR and you know the year it was flown it, it is best to download the entire year and then read the forms yourself.
Our eyes and brains are better able to read partially legible text.

			39th ARRS Crown / King