The 48th Rescue Squadron trains, equips and employs combat-ready pararescuemen, combat rescue officers and supporting personnel worldwide in support of U.S. national security interests. It provides survivor contact, treatment and extraction during combat rescue operations, uses various fixed and rotary wing insertion and extraction assets. It employs by any means available to provide combat and humanitarian search, rescue and medical assistance in all environments.

The 55th Rescue Squadron operates the HH-60G Pave Hawk, as well as the HH-60W Jolly Green II, to provide rapidly deployable combat search and rescue forces to theater commanders worldwide. They tactically employ the HH-60G/W helicopters and their crews in hostile environments to recover downed aircrew and isolated personnel during day or night, and during marginal weather conditions. The 55th also conducts military operations other than war including; civil search and rescue, disaster relief, international aid, emergency medical evacuation and counter-drug activities.

The 68th Rescue Squadron, also known as the Guardian Angel Formal Training Unit (FTU), designs and conducts Guardian Angel mission qualification and skills training in order to meet combat capability requirements and integration with joint forces. The FTU instructs a series of advanced formal courses in order to maximize standardization of training across the career field and produce combat mission ready warriors.

The 79th Rescue Squadron operates the HC-130J Combat King II, the USAF's only fixed-wing dedicated personnel recovery platform, and provides rapidly deployable combat search and rescue forces to theater commanders worldwide. It conducts helicopter air-to-air refueling and airdrop of pararescue personnel and/or equipment in support of combat personnel recovery. It's crews are capable of landings on short, unimproved, runways and low-level operations during day or night with night vision goggles. 

The 923d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron maintains, services, and inspects its HH-60G Pave Hawk, HH-60W Jolly Green II and HC-130J Combat King II aircraft. It also plans, schedules, and directs both scheduled and unscheduled preventative maintenance to maintain mission ready status. The squadron performs all launch and recovery operations. It rapidly generates, mobilizes, deploys, and employs forces to provide combat and peacetime search and rescue operations in support of U.S. national security interests.