442 Transport and Rescue Squadron

UN DIEU, UNE REINE, UN COEUR (One god, one queen, one heart) Significance: The central device is the HAIETLIK, the Lightning Snake of Nootka First Nation Legend. According to Nootka folklore, the Lightning Snakes were dispatched by the Thunderbirds to kill whales as a source of food.

The primary role of 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron is the provision of aviation resources in support of the Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) Victoria.

This region consists of approximately 920,000 square kilometers of mainly mountainous terrain of Yukon and British Columbia and 560,000 square kilometers of the Pacific Ocean extending to approximately 600 nautical miles offshore, including over 27,000 kilometers of rugged British Columbia coastline. The rugged and often inaccessible terrain, severe weather, and large expanses of sparsely populated areas make the Victoria SRR the most demanding region in the country.

While approximately 80 of the Squadron's personnel strength of 200 are aircrew trades, including pilots, navigators, flight engineers, and Search and Rescue Technicians (SAR Techs), the majority are maintenance personnel, charged with keeping the aircraft at peak operational readiness.

On occasions when major search operations dictate the establishment of a forward operating base somewhere else in the province, 442's maintenance personnel will deploy with the aircrew, providing servicing and repairs to aircraft on site.

The official lineage and operational history can be found on the Department of National Defence's Directorate of History and Heritage webpage.

442 Transport and Rescue Squadron
19 Wing Comox
PO Box 1000 Station Main
Lazo BC VOR2KO

Email: 19wingpublicaffairs@forces.gc.ca
Phone: 250-339-8201

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