In addition to being the first HS squadron on the West Coast, by 1962 HS-2 was the first ASW helicopter squadron to make a deployment with the Navy's first turbine powered all-weather ASW helicopter, the HSS-2 Sea King which in September 1962 in compliance with the 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system was re-designated the SH-3A Sea King.

The aircraft remained airborne for eleven hours and eighteen minutes on a search and rescue mission in North Vietnam with the help of four HIFRs three of which were at night.

Other technical innovations by the squadron include the pioneering of submarine detection capabilities with the introduction of the SH-3D Sea King in 1967 as a multi-sensor ASW platform.

In 1966 HS-2 participated in the Apollo Saturn AS-202 spaceshot recovery program, and was responsible for ten overland and five coastal rescues of pilots in North Vietnam during 1967.

The squadron provided relief support to snowbound Indians in Arizona over the Christmas holidays of 1967, airlifting fifteen tons of food supplies, flying 292 mercy missions and performing 37 medical evacuations.

While deployed in USS Hornet to Yankee Station, the squadron earned the following awards:Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal: Korea April 1969 Task Force 71; U.S. Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Viet Nam – Task Force 71 1968-69; Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal 1968-69; Vietnam Service Medal; Two Bronze Campaign Stars: Vietnam Counteroffensive, Phase VI from 1968-11-02 to 1969 02-22 Tet 1969 Counteroffensive from 1969-02-23 to 1969-06-08 In 1970, HS-2 was the first helicopter squadron to travel across the United States for deployment in a ship from the other coast.

HS-2 was the first active duty HS squadron to fully incorporate the Combat Search and Rescue mission, having received the two new HH-60H aircraft in November of that year.

[3] Assigned to Carrier Airwing TWO aboard USS Abraham Lincoln in 2005, the squadron provided relief support to the citizens of Indonesia devastated by a tsunami on 26 December 2004.

Flying the SH-60F and HH-60H the squadron conducted 231 medevacs of displaced refugees, moved 475,000 lbs of disaster relief cargo, and flew 1010.9 hours in a 31-day period.