Air Force Pararescue Jumpers are stationed at two active-duty bases in the continental United States, Moody Air Force Base in Georgia and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, and at two overseas installations, Kadena Air Base in Japan and Aviano Air Base in Italy. Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve pararescue squadrons add locations in Alaska, New York, California, Oregon, Arizona, and Florida. Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada was a PJ duty station until June 2025, when the 58th Rescue Squadron inactivated.
Active-Duty Bases in the United States
Moody AFB, near Valdosta, Georgia, is home to the 38th Rescue Squadron, one of the Air Force’s longest-running PJ units. The 38th falls under the 347th Rescue Group and has deployed to nearly every major contingency operation in recent decades.1U.S. Air Force. 38th Rescue Squadron
Davis-Monthan AFB, outside Tucson, Arizona, hosts the 563rd Rescue Group, which oversees two pararescue squadrons. The 48th Rescue Squadron is the operational unit that trains and employs PJs, combat rescue officers, and support personnel worldwide. The 68th Rescue Squadron runs the Guardian Angel Formal Training Unit, which delivers advanced mission-qualification courses that standardize skills across the career field.2U.S. Air Force. 563rd Rescue Group
Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada no longer hosts a PJ unit. The 58th Rescue Squadron inactivated on June 18, 2025, and its personnel were reassigned to Moody, Davis-Monthan, Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, and Kadena Air Base in Japan.3U.S. Air Force. 58th Rescue Squadron Inactivation No replacement unit stood up at Nellis.
Overseas Bases
Two permanent overseas installations cover the Pacific and European theaters.
Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, Japan, is home to the 31st Rescue Squadron, assigned to the 353rd Special Operations Wing. The 31st conducts parachute insertion and rescue training across the Indo-Pacific region.4U.S. Air Force. 31st RQS, 353rd SOW Conduct Pararescue Training
Aviano Air Base in northeastern Italy hosts the 57th Rescue Squadron. The 57th employs PJs, combat rescue officers, and survival specialists in support of contingency operations across the European and African commands.5U.S. Air Force. 57th Rescue Squadron
Air National Guard and Reserve Units
Guard and Reserve pararescue squadrons deploy on the same missions as their active-duty counterparts and often get activated during large operations or natural disasters.
Air National Guard PJ squadrons are based at:
- The 212th Rescue Squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson near Anchorage, Alaska, part of the 176th Wing.6U.S. Air Force. 212th Rescue Squadron
- The 103rd Rescue Squadron at Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach, New York, under the 106th Rescue Wing.7U.S. Air Force. 106th Rescue Wing
- The 131st Rescue Squadron at Moffett Federal Airfield in Santa Clara, California, under the 129th Rescue Wing.
Air Force Reserve PJ squadrons are based at:
- The 304th Rescue Squadron at Portland International Airport in Portland, Oregon.
- The 306th Rescue Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, co-located with the active-duty 563rd Rescue Group.
- The 308th Rescue Squadron at Patrick Space Force Base in Cocoa Beach, Florida, under the 920th Rescue Wing.
Deployments Beyond Home Station
A permanent duty station is only part of where a PJ actually spends time. Recent deployments have taken pararescuemen to Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and the Horn of Africa. Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti has been a recurring rotation site, with teams from Davis-Monthan and other bases cycling through to maintain regional rescue coverage.8U.S. Air Force. Pararescue Jumpers Train That Others May Live
These rotations typically last a few months and exist to provide combat search and rescue, personnel recovery, and trauma medicine where those capabilities are immediately needed. The tempo has historically been demanding because a small qualified force covers multiple geographic commands at once.
Training Pipeline Locations
Before reaching a permanent assignment, a PJ candidate moves through a training pipeline that takes more than two years and spans facilities across the country.9U.S. Air Force. Pararescue Brochure Most candidates who start it do not finish. The sequence runs roughly like this:
- Basic Military Training, the Special Warfare Candidate Course, and assessment and selection at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.10Air Combat Command. What Is Assessment and Selection
- The Combat Dive Course at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center in Panama City Beach, Florida. It runs five weeks and covers the underwater operations used in water-based rescues.11Naval Education and Training Command. Air Force Combat Dive Course-PJ
- Army Airborne School at Fort Moore, Georgia (renamed from Fort Benning in May 2023), a three-week static-line parachuting course.12Kirtland Air Force Base. Special Warfare Training Squadron – Pararescue and Combat Rescue Officer School
- The Military Free-Fall Course at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, about four weeks covering high-altitude parachuting including HALO and HAHO jumps.13U.S. Air Force. Pararescue (PJ) Specialist
- SERE training at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, covering survival, evasion, resistance, and escape across forest, desert, and coastal environments.14U.S. Air Force. U.S. Air Force Survival School
- The Modernized Pararescue Provider Program at Lackland AFB, Texas. At 39 weeks it is the longest single phase, and graduates come out certified as Nationally Registered Paramedics.13U.S. Air Force. Pararescue (PJ) Specialist
- The Pararescue Apprentice Course at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. This 22-week capstone brings together field medicine, helicopter and fixed-wing insertion, mountaineering, rope rescue, combat diving, and tactical shooting.12Kirtland Air Force Base. Special Warfare Training Squadron – Pararescue and Combat Rescue Officer School