A new helicopter squadron has been established at Joint Base Andrews—located in the Washington, D.C. suburbs—for the first time in 60 years. Its mission is the emergency evacuation of the country’s top military and political leadership to secure bunkers in the event of a nuclear war or global crisis.
“The 24th Helicopter Squadron was officially activated to support continuity of government operations within the National Capital Region. The squadron’s primary role is to ensure the safe and rapid transport of key government leaders, military officials, and critical personnel during national-level emergencies, crises, or potential threats to the capital,” the base stated in a press release.
According to the release, the new squadron will be equipped with state-of-the-art HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters, replacing the aging UH-1N Huey aircraft that had served with the 1st Helicopter Squadron for decades.
According to the military publication The War Zone, the squadron was established as part of continuity-of-government protocols; its helicopters are designed to evacuate top U.S. military and political leaders from the capital region to secure underground bunkers in the event of a nuclear war or global crisis.
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