A history of heroes

Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Written by Petty Officer 1st Class Adam Eggers.

The history of a military unit helps mold and shape its identity, sometimes just as much as the crews who carry out its missions. When a unit reaches 50 years in operation it usually serves as a proud marking point and an excellent time to look back on what events shaped that identity. For Air Station Los Angeles, that day came on Nov. 16, 2012, during an ceremony attended by current and past aircrews.

The evolution of the air station that serves one of the largest cities in the U.S. is an interesting one and has helped mold the air station into a true multi-mission unit. While air stations are known for rescuing mariners at sea, Air Station Los Angeles also has a long history of providing security from the air dating back to the 1984 Summer Olympics.

Today, Los Angeles aircrews provide the Coast Guard with its only rotary air wing intercept capability on the west coast and have been heavily involved in interdicting drug smuggling operations off the coast of California.

Located at the Los Angeles International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the country, the air station was almost shut down in 1982 due to budget cuts but narrowly survived to continue its missions to today. Here is a look back at the historical journey of Air Station Los Angeles.

Tags: air station, Air Station Los Angeles, aircrew, helicopter, olympics, Search and Rescue, video