The term Para-rescue/Pararescue and associated terms para-doc and para-medic emerge as nomenclature as early as 1940 to describe or portray an activity that was gaining visibility during the Second World War as the numbers of noncombat and combat aircraft losses increased. These terms weren’t introduced and used to identify primary duty assignments, a specific military occupation specialty (MOS), or an authorized Specification Serial Number (SSN) at any time during the Second World War.
It’s the emerging global air contingency rescue and recovery exigencies of the Cold War that advances the necessity for establishing the enlisted pararescue occupation.
This establishing of the never previously existing enlisted pararescue occupation specialty originates with Headquarters Air Rescue Service submitting a formal request, 5 February 1947, for the authority and manning to establish pararescue teams.
The rescue and recovery exigencies of the cold war quickly injected the Pararescue occupation specialty into accomplishing combat operations, humanitarian operations, and other operations. The potential for even humanitarian operations having combat, evasion and capture risks contributed to pararescue being a combat military occupation specialty.
This divesture from being an enlisted medical occupation explains why the specialty has been grouped in the Aircrew Protection Career Field (1952), Aircrew Operation Career Field (1975), back to the Aircrew Protection Career Field (1993), and the Special Warfare Career Field (2019).
The first pararescue team was established and activated in July 1947 and no later than June 1948 the enlisted MOS/SSN 3383 Rescue-Survival was approved and authorized.
Since July 1947 the enlisted pararescue occupation specialty (AFSC) has built the legacy of being the most decorated Air Force enlisted force. They’ve been awarded one Medal of Honor, 12 Air Force Crosses, over 105 Silver Stars and hundreds of other medals awarded for heroism or outstanding achievement during search and rescue missions.
(from Wikipedia… )