HSC - 6 HSC - 6 Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Six , also known as " Indians " is a helicopter squadron of the United States Navy established in 1956 . The squadron was commissioned as Helicopter Anti - Submarine Squadron Six and completed transition to Helicopter Sea Combat on 8 July 2011 . Based at Naval Air Station North Island , HSC - 6 is part of Carrier Air Wing 11 and deploys aboard the . History . Helicopter Anti - Submarine Squadron SIX was established on June 1 , 1956 aboard midway between the islands of Formosa and Okinawa . Initially , the squadron flew the HO4S Chickasaw , but two years later transitioned to the HSS - 1N Seabat and gained a new mission , Anti - Submarine Warfare ( ASW ) . In April 1960 , the squadron joined Carrier Anti - Submarine Group FIVE THREE aboard . In March 1962 the squadron again changed aircraft when Sikorsky ’ s SH - 3 Sea King entered the fleet . The Sea King , incorporating upgrades over the years , would take HS - 6 into the 1990s . Along the way , the squadron built a history and a reputation worthy of the name , “ World Famous Indians . ” HS - 6 recovered Mercury Program astronauts Wally Schirra in 1962 and Gordon Cooper in 1963 . In 1966 , during U . S . strikes into Vietnam , the Indians rescued 16 downed aviators , for which the squadron received the Navy Unit Commendation . A SEVENTH Fleet Commendation followed in 1969 for services provided following the collision at sea between and . In 1971 , the " Indians " recovered the crew of Apollo 14 returning from the moon . Later that year , the squadron deployed to the east coast to join Carrier Air Wing SEVEN aboard to conduct an evaluation of the emerging CV concept . In 1974 , the squadron began a nine - year association with and Carrier Air Wing NINE . This successful partnership resulted in Battle “ E ” Awards in 1974 and 1978 and back - to - back Captain Arnold Jay Isbell Trophies for ASW excellence in 1977 and 1978 . The squadron also won the CNO Safety ‘ S ’ Award in 1977 . In 1975 , HS - 6 briefly revisited its participation in the space program , recovering the Apollo - Soyuz astronauts . The squadron ’ s final deployment on board the " Constellation " was highlighted by 19 open ocean rescues . HS - 6 again won back - to - back Captain Arnold Jay Isbell Trophies in 1985 and 1986 . Additionally , in 1986 , the squadron received the Admiral Jimmy Thach Award for carrier - based ASW excellence and the CNO Safety ‘ S ’ Award . In 1988 the Indians received worldwide recognition for rescuing a seriously injured Japanese fisherman . That year , HS - 6 would also receive the Sikorsky Maintenance Award , the CNO Safety ‘ S ’ Award , and the Joint Meritorious Unit Commendation . HS - 6 later joined Carrier Air Wing ELEVEN ( CVW - 11 ) and began deploying on board until 1989 when the Indians finished with an Around the World cruise . On that cruise , HS - 6 won the first ever DESRON 21 “ Order of the Pummeled Dolphin ” award for excellence in ASW . In 1990 , the squadron transitioned to Sikorsky SH - 60 Seahawk and Sikorsky HH - 60 Pave Hawk helicopters . Armed with these new , highly capable aircraft , the Indians remained part of CVW 11 and from 1990 to 2003 conducted several successful deployments aboard , , , and , to the Western Pacific , Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf . In 2001 , during the opening days of the Global War on Terrorism , HS - 6 conducted a joint detachment with HS - 11 , staging their HH - 60H helicopters at a forward base in Pakistan to provide Combat Search and Rescue for the initial Operation Enduring Freedom air strikes into Afghanistan . Following another FIFTH Fleet deployment in 2003 , the " Indians " deployed in the summer of 2004 aboard for its South American inter - fleet transit . WESTPAC 2005 found HS - 6 focused on Operation Iraqi Freedom , flying over 2 , 500 hours and nearly 1 , 000 sorties from and Camp Arifjan , Kuwait to patrol the skies of Southern Iraq . That year , the Indians were awarded the CNO Safety ‘ S ’ Award , COMPACFLT Retention Excellence Award , and Arleigh Burke Fleet Trophy . The squadron ’ s exceptional support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom during WESTPAC ’ 07 , and their performance in the SEVENTH Fleet throughout WESTPAC ’ 08 earned the Indians the 2007 Battle “ E ” , and back to back CNO Safety ‘ S ’ Awards in 2007 and 2008 . In March 2010 , the squadron completed its final cruise with H - 60 F / H helicopters , an eight month deployment to FIFTH Fleet in support of Operation Enduring Freedom . HS - 6 began the transition to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron SIX in early 2011 , and will deploy with eight MH - 60S helicopters as an integral part of the CVW 11 / USS " Nimitz " ( CVN - 68 ) team in late 2012 .