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HSC-85 story
Revitalizing Special Operations Support
At the start of 2010, the HSC-85 ‘High Rollers’ were a reserve fleet support squadron flying the MH-60S Seahawk from San Diego, CA. The High Rollers would stand down and then re-establish themselves as the HSC-85 Firehawks.
The USSOCOM - Navy agreement regarding the two designated SOF/CSAR squadrons (HSC-84 and HSC-85) and their relationship to the SOF support mission resulted in a 2010 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that delineated training and operational support requirements.
In the spring of 2011, HSC-85 flew both versions of Seahawk helicopter and started tactical training for flight crews. Growing in manpower and equipment, the squadron’s updated mission statements and certification requirements resulted in HSC-85 flying more than 5,000 hours of flight time in direct support to SOF training; this support included 12 detachments and over 400 sorties.
HSC-85 provided overseas detachments in support of SOCOM operations and training exercises within the Pacific Theater. By the end of 2013, the Firehawks had established a 4-aircraft, 70-sailor forward deployed detachment. Thus, began nearly 10-years of near-continuous overseas service. Squadron tasking included operations and exercises with joint, partner, and allied forces in exercises such as: Cobra Gold in Thailand; Balikatan in the Philippines; and Talisman Sabre in Australia; as well as SOF joint training events in Guam.
Back home, the Firehawks ramped up their stateside mission training as well as SOF support. At home, HSC-85 provided 40% of all the rotary-wing air support that the SEALs would need for their stateside training in 2013 and regarding larger SOCOM training requirements, the Firehawks provided a 25% share. Periodic detachments to Nellis AFB for USAF Weapons School CSAR support and Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma for SOF certification events became part of the squadron’s regular training plan. The Firehawks also found themselves on additional deployments to Ft. Hunter Liggett, Davis Monthan AFB, Gila Bend, AZ, the Dugway Proving Grounds, and Mountain Home AFB.
By 2014, the Navy planned to decommission both HSC-84 and 85 to save money for the fleet. An ensuing battle over the Navy’s choice to allow service-provided SOF aviation to wither would involve the highest levels of the Navy, SOCOM, and the Department of Defense. A community campaign to seek advocacy in Washington, DC resulted with Congress delaying the Navy’s plan until an analysis and review of the proposed shut downs was studied.
The Firehawks returned home for decommissioning in 2016, but a last-minute Navy/SOCOM brokered deal managed to save 1 of the 2 squadrons. The East Coast squadron, HSC-84, was disestablished in March 2016, leaving HSC-85 as the only dedicated Navy SOF support squadron. Within 12 months, the Firehawks returned to Special Operations Command Pacific (SOCPAC) under the operational command of the Air Forces’ 353rd Special Operations Group (SOG) out of Kadena Air Base in Okinawa. While there, HSC-85 supported the Army’s 1st Special Forces Group’s (SFG) Crisis Response Force (CRF) as well as other allied and partner nation exercises (e.g., Balikatan and Talisman Saber).
In a response to real-world tasking, the U.S. Navy identified HSC-85 as the most capable unit to fill a critical gap in a high-threat CSAR environment. From the Pacific Theater of Operations, HSC-85 redeployed to U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and commenced operations from a remote location within that theater. With this, the Firehawks became the U.S. Navy’s first in-country Personnel Recovery (PR) and critical Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC) unit in the Horn of Africa. While there, HSC-85 supported 285 missions and saved the lives of 12 partner nation persons during 4 combat CASEVACs.
HSC85’s Det ONE then redeployed from CTF-HOA back to Kadena AB to resume its role within SOCPAC’s rotary wing CRF. Back in San Diego, the command transitioned to the MH-60S Block III-Armed Helicopter. The last HH-60H detachment came home to San Diego in December 2018. In under 6 months, the Firehawks rebuilt their manpower and got recertified in training for the new airframe and in the mission with the MH-60S. This was followed by a redeployment back to (newly renamed) INDOPACOM in June 2019.
Det ONE relocated to Thailand to support exercises Flash Torch and Cobra Gold. While in Thailand, the outbreak of COVID-19 resulted in new orders to rereturn to Kadena AB where the squadron was then integrated into the 353rd SOG’s COVID-19 Response Task Force.
HSC-85 continued to provide rotary wing SOF support to SOCPAC. The squadron executed multiple taskings to include: continuing support for multiple joint exercises; a crisis response alert posture for Presidential movement within South Korea; and an embarkation onboard USS Miguel Keith (ESB5) in support of INDOPACOM deterrence operations.
The Navy and SOCOM continued their inabilities to come to an agreement regarding the role of the Firehawks within SOF aviation tasking. Tribalism and a mistrust amongst the competing uniformed services resulted in a stalemate on cost sharing that ultimately spelled dissolution for any SOF Air capabilities organic to the Navy. Once again, Congressional action was supportive of retaining HSC-85 but when the final Congressional Budget was released, it did not contain the line item for funding that would have kept 85 alive.
HSC-85 returned for the last time to NAS North Island in September of 2022 to prepare for shutdown. HSC-85 was officially de-activated on 30 September 2023. During its limited resurgence, the Firehawks dutifully supported 42 overseas exercises, 39 stateside detachments, and three real-world overseas operations that included four combat CASEVACS. All of this was done while flying an additional 900 (approximate) flight-hours per year of dedicated SOF training support that would ultimately come to represent a 60% share of all the rotary-wing support to NSW.