106th Rescue Wing holds "Day of Remembrance" Ceremony on Thursday, May 22

WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NEW YORK (05/20/2025) (readMedia)-- The New York Air National Guard's 106th Rescue Wing will mark Memorial Day with a May 22 ceremony recognizing wing members who died in the line of duty.

Members of the media are invited to cover the event.

WHO: Airmen of the New York Air National Guard's 106th Rescue Wing

WHAT: The 106th Rescue Wing will hold a Day of Remembrance to honor the service members of the unit who have died while serving our country. This solemn occasion provides an opportunity for the 106th Rescue Wing, family members, and the community to come together to remember and pay tribute to the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice.

The ceremony will include the reading of names, the ringing of a bell for each fallen hero, the playing of Taps, and a musical meditation led by the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) bagpipers.

The ceremony will include the reading of the names of the fallen, including those lost in the Jolly 85 mission (1985), the Jolly 110 mission (1991), and the Jolly 51 mission (2018), as well as members from various groups within the 106th Rescue Wing.

WHEN: Thursday, May 22, 2025@ 10:00 A.M. Press must be on site no later than 9:45 a.m.

WHERE: F.S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base , 150 Old Riverhead Rd, Westhampton Beach, N.Y. 11978

Coverage Opportunities:

Video and still coverage of the ceremony. There will be an opportunity to speak with wing leaders.

For access to this seecure military facility, reproters must RSVP by 2 p.,m. on May 21. Email RSVPs to Captain Cheran Campbell at cheran.campbell@us.af.mil.

For quick entrance onto the base, please include your full name, news agency, date of birth, state Real ID license number and state (if not NY) and a cellphone number. To gain access to the base, you will need to show a valid Real ID or a passport with your license to our Security Forces personnel at the main gate. Any additional requirements will be emailed.

BACKGROUND

The 106th Rescue Wing (106 RQW) is a unit of the New York Air National Guard, stationed at Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base, Westhampton Beach, New York. We operate and maintains the HC-130J Combat King II and the HH-60W Jolly Green II search and rescue aircraft. Our mission is to provide worldwide Personnel Recovery, Combat Search and Rescue Capability, Expeditionary Combat Support, and Civil Search and Rescue Support to Federal and State authorities. We provide Personnel Recovery to the state of New York and deployed operations that we are tasked to support.