Fighter Pilot University - Alumni Dept

F-86 Sabre

Mon, 24 May 2010 06:11:00-0500

Classic Fighter Pilot Machine!

Da Nang Gunfighters

Fri, 21 May 2010 06:26:00-0500

Some great footage of the F-4C with a centerline gun pod. The 366th Gunfighters added the gun at Da Nang becuase they were missing opportunities for MIG kills while in the phone booth. They scored 4 kills within two weeks of adding the gun. Questions? The 390th Wild Boars were part of the gunfighters and still wear the patch proudly on Friday. The Boars are having the squadron closing roll call tonight. Raise your glasses to the Gunfighters and the Wild Boars!

Wild Boar Closing Party

Thu, 06 May 2010 12:10:00-0500

The 390^th Wild Boar closing party is rapidly approaching. It will undoubtedly be a rage. The website is still up at http://390wildboars.webs.com/

Here's the flow for the party:

Friday, 21 May

1639 – Boar Fly-By over the Wallow

1739 – Roll Call / Pig Roast / “Naughties” Concert on the Wallow porch

After sunset – Piano burn and after-party in the Wallow

Saturday, 22 May

0900 – Golf Tournament at Shadow Creek in Boise

1100 – Mountain Biking in the Boise foothills for those not playing golf. More info on bike rentals to follow.

1800 – Closing dinner and video presentation at The Grove in Boise

There are blocked out rooms at the Sagebrush Inn. Contact Rastr this week to let him know if you want a room on base.

Landing fee is $39.00/per person and includes the following…

All food and drinks for Friday’s festivities, a Boar closing T-shirt, and a picture commemorating the closing. No need to pre-pay. We will collect the money when you arrive. Please note that the golf tourney, mountain biking, and dinner on Saturday night will be extra.

If you plan on attending, contact Rastr with the following information ASAP:

Which events will you attend and how many people you will bring to each event?
Your (and any guests’) T-shirt size
Do you need a room on base? If so, how many?

Additional T-shirts will be available for purchase in the Wallow.

If you have any questions, please call or contact Rastr at (940) 224-1598 or e-mail him at christopher.bodley@mountainhome.af.mil

Once a Boar, always a Boar!

390^th Fighter Squadron

Wild Boars

DSN: 728-4396

COMM: (208) 828-4396

Günther Rall - Third Leading Ace of All Time

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:53:00-0500

One of the great fighter pilots of all time, Günther Rall, died just a few months ago. This newspaper article points out many of the accomplishments of this amazing man. However, the last paragraph makes quite a statement about him and the fighter pilot profession as a whole.

No matter how great a fighter pilot may become. No matter what lofty rank he may achieve. To a real fighter pilot, it's all about the camaraderie. It's all about the brotherhood of fighter pilots. KICKASS!!!

We're told that Günther Rall
had some FU gear from the FU Store.
Shouldn't you?

When Fighter Pilots Ruled the World

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:00:00-0500

There was a time when fighter pilots flew where they wanted, when they wanted. Then envious, sniveling wannabes started whining about jet noise. Some of these people were all for national defense just as long as they weren't inconvenienced by those practicing for that defense. Others just flat out hate anything military and were more concerned about the rights of the speckled warbler or the multi-colored sphincter owl than the right of a fighter pilot to get realistic training. Ever so slowly these spiteful folks implemented rules and laws that impeded the ability of fighter pilots to fly where they needed to fly. Can't buzz your own home, can't fly under bridges, can't do a low level pass down main street, no sonic booms, can't zoom through the Grand Canyon. How do they expect fighter pilots to defend the country with our hands tied like this?

Well, back in the day it wasn't like that. Any airspace, anywhere, five feet above terra firma was fighter pilot domain. Here's a kickass video that proves just that. Not necessarily the greatest of quality but you'll get the idea. There's some ballsy, kickass flying here and low level opportunities that will probably never be seen again because of back packing, donkey riding, nick pickers, bitching about maybe getting knocked off a cliff. Please, the odds of that happening are well worth the risk, considering the valuable training that can be achieved.

Wake up world!! We know you love fighter pilots. Make sure yours are happy and well trained. Remove the artificial shackles that have been imposed by a miniscule minority who are jealous of the freedom and autonomy that being a fighter pilot rightfully brings.

Enough of that. See what it used to be like, when fighter pilot ruled the world.

Thank you Sieg for sending us the video.

Get your FU gear at the FU Store now!

Winning the MiG Lottery

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:00:00-0500

We get tons of e-mails from young guys hoping to become a fighter pilot. Some are still in high school, others college or even a military pilot training program. A lot of them ask what's it like to be a fighter pilot and, beyond that, what's it take to become a kickass fighter pilot.

In an effort to expand the realm of Fighter Pilot University, we have a guest speaker today who will address those very questions. If you want to become a kickass fighter pilot and maybe get to kill something in the process, this is the kind of stuff you need to do and the mind set you need to have.

Dean of Kickassness

TIMING, LUCK AND PROFESSIONALISM

I am not a MiG killer, but I did stay at a 5 Star Italian hotel on the beach. I was fortunate enough to be in the 493rd Fighter Squadron, The Grim Reapers, during Operation ALLIED FORCE. For those of you who were counting, the Reapers shot down four MiG-29s during the first three days of the war. After the squadron had its first taste of blood, some of the pilots (me included) started to get MiG-killitis. Some started to get obsessed with the next kill and temporarily lost focus on the big picture. Remember, overall mission accomplishment is what you are shooting for. But this article is not about me, or the Reapers, or the men who shot down those MiGs ten years ago. This article is about how to win the next MiG Lottery. It’s about getting the next MiG or Flanker kill. The key is TIMING, LUCK, and most importantly, PROFESSIONALISM.

First let’s talk about TIMING. It’s all about being in the right place at the right time. Some of it is beyond a fighter pilots’s control, but most of it can be obtained through hard work and perseverance. You cannot control when or where the next war will start, so I will not dwell those things. I will talk about the things you can control.

Always strive to be CMR in an operational fighter squadron. It starts with kicking ass at pilot training and IFF. It carries through to RTU so you can always have your first choice as to what you fly and where you fly to optimize your chances. Remember that timing is both chronological and geographical. Finishing first optimizes your chances of being in the right fighter squadron at the right TIME. Once you get to your first fighter squadron, your work ethic should motivate you to go to Fighter Weapons School if you have the skill, the drive and the heart. From there you may be lucky enough to get an OPS to OPS assignment. That will once again facilitate being in the right place at the right TIME. Finally, always being current and qualified in every possible tactical event and always being ready to deploy will increase making the “A Team” in the event your squadron gets the call.

Once you are in theater and are gearing up for the first night of combat, you can further optimize your chances of being in the right place at the right TIME. Be proactive about volunteering to help with anything tactical or operational. Diving into mission planning is a great place to start. Once you are familiar with the Strategic and Operational goals of the campaign, you can start looking at the ACO, ATO and target lists. Work with INTEL to get the most current, accurate data about enemy Air Order of Battle and enemy intent. Know your enemy. Know the target and threat locations. Once you are armed with this information, you can help coordinate the tactical plan to increase your squadron’s chances for success. As a flight lead or wingman, knowing all you can about the tactical situation, game plan, and ROE will increase your chances of being in the right place at the right TIME.

When you are finally airborne on the first night, you need to bring your “A game.” I have witnessed firsthand pilots who were 20 miles in trail when the first shots were coming off the rail. An immersion in the planning process will help you know when and where all the players are supposed to be. A flawless execution of the Admin phases of flight, most importantly refueling, should be a given. Working as a team to ensure push and on-station times are adhered to furthers the chances of overall mission success. In addition, it will ensure you are in the in the right place at the right TIME to execute the intercept, ID, and weapons employment to win the MiG Lottery.

The second critical factor is LUCK. This can best be summed up by the famous quote “The Harder I Work the Luckier I Get.” If you have ever shot an air-to-air missile then you know it takes about 69 consecutive miracles for the missile to kill the target. In the words of a great IP, “That’s why they call them missiles, not hittles.” From the time you squeeze the fat out of your thumb to the time the enemy turns into hair, teeth and eyeballs a lot of things have to work correctly. Some of these things going right or wrong can be attributed to LUCK. If you read the MiG engagement reports from DESERT STORM, you will see that America has a few less kills under its belt due to the “Sand Sparrows,” AIM-7s that all too often glided harmlessly to the desert floor. Even as recently as ALLIED FORCE, pilots missed out on kills because missiles failed to guide correctly to the target. LUCK needs to be on your side. Although you cannot control LUCK, you can work hard to ensure it is on your side.

Finally, the most important ingredient in winning the next MiG Lottery is PROFESSIONALISM. This starts during pilot training. It means always being ready for each sortie and always being ready for stand-up. It means chair flying on Sunday afternoon and grabbing an extra practice sim the day before the checkride. Once you earn your fighter aircraft the work really begins.

PROFESSIONALISM is a lifestyle and a mindset, not a word you read on an Air Force recruitment pamphlet. It means showing up early for the brief and staying late in the bar to listen to old war stories. It is reading 3-1 shot/kill criteria every day before you fly so you can make accurate, real time decisions in the jet to be a better warrior. This will carry forward to combat so you know when to take a second, or third, shot to ensure you kill the enemy.

A fighter pilot wanting to win the MIG Lottery should volunteer for every tactical school possible to try to learn more about his jet, its systems, and the missiles we shoot. This includes AMRAAM school, AIM-9 school and Electronic Combat Schools. It means volunteering to go out and listen to Fighter Weapons School academics while having a good time in Vegas, baby. It means volunteering to teach SWATT even though you are a young wingman because your squadron just got a new radar tape, and you want to be the first one to know it cold.

On each sortie you should train like you fight. You should be professional in each phase of flight: Brief, Execution and Debrief. While briefing and execution are important, most of the learning occurs in the Debrief phase. Take the gloves off, fess up to mistakes and make sure you capitalize on every learning opportunity. During your upgrades, you should prepare to the point where you are confident in your knowledge and your brief so you are sure you will succeed. On checkrides, you never want to look back and wish you had done one more practice EPE prior to the real thing.

The PROFESSIONALISM you exhibit every day will determine which jobs and additional duties you are assigned within the squadron. The more professional and tactical you are the more likely you will be assigned to work in the weapons shop to further your warrior skills. The PROFESSIONALISM you exhibit during your first assignment will determine your next assignment and ultimately the course of your career (reference TIMING).

If you finally make it to the show and you are preparing for the first night of the next conflict, this is where your PROFESSIONALISM meets the road. Knowledge and PROFESSIONALISM go hand-in-hand. Know the INTEL. Know the SPINS. Know the ROE. Know the THREATS. Know your jet and all of its weapons and systems inside and out. Know everything you can to make that first combat mission a little easier.

PROFESSIONALISM is being on-time and ready to fight that first night and every night. It’s about integrity in combat to ensure overall mission success over personal glory or ego. It’s about getting the job done no matter how difficult the task or how insurmountable the obstacles. It’s about taking valid shots and following up if necessary. It’s about employing the standards as a team so that no MiG or Flanker returns to its base, and its pilots RTB in the back of a pick-up truck with their heads hung in shame.

If you have TIMING and LUCK, you will still not get the kill and win the MiG Lottery without PROFESSIONALISM.

Kill ‘em all.

HOMER

Now that you're all psyched up to go out and kill something, stop at the FU Store first so that you're properly attired. You'll want to wear this shirt under your flight suit all the time. Plus, get a second one so that you can wear a clean one out on the street. That way people will always know that you do indeed kickass. Available in the Kickass Fighter Pilot Stuff section of the FU Store.

World Wide Fighter Pilot Fraternity

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 06:00:00-0500

Australia F/A-18A Hornet
Photo by Brett Sommers
www.boggy.com.au

The reason that Fighter Pilot University exists is to further the international camaraderie of fighter pilots worldwide. No matter who; Indian v Pakistani, Chinese v Taiwanese, South Korean v North Korean, even US, British, French, Australian, German, Russian, just about everybody else v Iranian, fighter pilots have that one thing in common. They are fighter pilots.
To become a fighter pilot is no easy task. Thousands fall by the wayside in an attempt to become one. So once you become a fighter pilot, you enter a fraternity of warriors, so unique, so daring, so courageous, that millions of everyday, earthbound folks idolize you and justifiably so.

Of course, like any alpha male, fighter pilots, when they meet, whether from the same or different services or countries, size each other up and both know that they are better than the other. But, there's still a unique bond.

With that said, it's kicksass when we receive an e-mail from some far corner of the world that shows, most certainly, the brotherhood continues, that the new embraces the old and the heart of fighter pilots beats strongly no matter where they are. Here's the body of an e-mail we got recently from down under. The F/A-18 is the front design, the wording, the back. Kickass!!

Attached is a T-Shirt my bro's and I designed for our F/A-18 OPCON down here in Australia that I thought you might appreciate. We graduated as Australia's newest fighter pilots in June this year.

I've got to give credit for the blurb on the back of the shirt to the 22nd TFS. I've had a book since I was a kid that I've always treasured called "USAFE - A Primer of Modern Air Combat in Europe". The first part of the book documents the 36th TFW at Bitburg during the 1980's, and one of the pictures in this section shows a wall mounted plaque with a very similar statement. I always found that statement be the penultimate expression of fighter pilot-ness, truly inspiring. Although I lost the book I remembered the approximate saying, my course mates loved it so we made it into a shirt for our end of course deployment.

The FU Store has your Hornet design. It's got your Super Hornet design. We've pushed both of those before and, with out a doubt, we will again. Here's a related design, our FU Super Hornet mascot. Now admit it. That kicksass!! Get it in the FU Store.

Fighter Pilots Are Universally Loved

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 06:00:00-0500

You may not agree with the stated issues in this video. You may scoff at the claims made here. But, what you have to agree with is what we’ve maintained from the very beginning of this web site; no matter where you go in the world, people admire, people are awestruck, people revere fighter pilots. It’s a universal reality. Women love them, men respect them, children aspire to be fighter pilots.

Here’s an Iraqi individual that champions the fighter pilots of his country. Whether or not his claims are fact, his admiration and appreciation is very real. Just another example of the worldwide respect and gratitude that common men and women have for fighter pilots. It's just a fact; people love fighter pilots.

One question though. Starting around the 3 minute point of the video, why are all those guys wearing head bands over their eyes? Very strange.

Thanks Nut for sending us the video.

Fighter Squadron Patch Evolution 5

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:00:00-0500

Sometimes when fighter squadron patches evolve, the patch can actually get better. Case in point, 390th Fighter Squadron at Mt. Home AFB, Idaho, the Wild Boars. They fly the F-15 Eagle. Here's their current patch on the right, kickass! On the left is the patch the squadron wore during its Da Nang days flying the F-4 Phantom II in Vietnam. Also, kickass. Fighter squadron patch evolution didn't harm the original concept or kickassness. They both portray a visious wild boar that would very happily rip you to shreads. A lot of years between both patches but still, both designs kickass, as we expect the squadron, as a whole, does too.

Thanks Mick for sending us the Da Nang era patch.

Two kickass patches!! You're obviously going to want to get a shirt with each patch. Get them in the FU Store. In fact, you can get shirts with one patch on the front and the other on the back and vice versa. Get to the FU Store today. It's way easier to kickass with FU gear.

Fighter Squadron Patch Evolution 4

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:00:00-0500

Here's another case of mandated fighter squadron patch evolution. Currently the 510th Fighter Squadron, who's patch is on the right, flies the F-16 Fighting Falcon at Aviano Air Base, Italy. When the squadron designation moved to Aviano the patch design changed to a circle and single rocker. You can see the original shield design on the left, from the squadron's A-10 and F-4 days. The good thing, in spite of the change, is that the basic concept of the patch has remained the same, a buzzard overlooking nuclear radiation of the entire world. Pretty catchy idea.

The new, circular patch looks OK but now there's a lot of empty space on the patch especially on the black side.. The unique shape of the old, shield patch adds quite a bit to making a fighter squadron patch kickass. I have no idea where that original shield shape comes from but I'd imagine it has something to do with a warriors shield which is most appropriate for fighter pilots.

Well, you decide for yourself which you like; old or new, and in this case, as in most, my vote goes to the old.

By the way, we have the old 510th TFS shield design in the FU Store. All kinds of stuff for man, woman and child. In our Retro Fighter Squadron section we've got the old, shield design on front with our A-10 designs on the back. And, for the purist at Aviano, the shield design with our Viper design on back. You cannot get more kickass stuff than right there in the FU Store. Some of you young fighter pilots at Aviano have got to have a little bambino on the way. Check out the stuff we've got for your little, future fighter pilot; t-shirts, hoodies, bibs, the works. Be the first at Aviano to show that your kid has the right stuff, from the FU Store.

Fighter Squadron Patch Evolution 3

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 06:00:00-0500

The worst cause of fighter squadron patch evolution is apathy. It's what happens when a new batch of patches show up and no one cares about the accurate reproduction of the intended design. This happens when a fighter squadron, sometime in the past, starts out with a kickass design. They have someone produce their patch and everyone is happy. Couple years later the squadron needs some more patches so they contact their patch provider, maybe the same one, maybe a new one. They send them a copy of their present patch and place an order. The new patches arrive, they look pretty good, just some slight changes from the original patch but no big deal. Same process happens again a few years later. Old patch provider went out of business, so sent the second generation patch to the new patch company. The third iteration shows up and, again, just slight changes from second generation. That's OK, but now, since no one is around to remember the initial patch/design they don't notice, or don't care, how far this third design has strayed from the original. Depending on how fast a squadron goes through patches this evolution process probably happens over a number of years.

Today with computerized, digital embroidery processing this kind of patch evolution is not as likely to happen. Now you can just e-mail a design to a patch company, they digitized it, put it on their machines and ta-da, a top quality, near perfect patch.

Below you'll see a patch design for the 428th Fighter Squadron, the Buccaneers. They're retired now but were last at Cannon AFB, New Mexico flying the F-16 and prior to that the F-111. The squadron was also at Nellis flying the same two jets in the same sequence. Kickass design!! However, watch how the patch evolves over time. This is a perfect example of no one stopping to say, "Hey, our patch looks like shit!"

Kickass original design.

1st generation. Not bad.

2nd generation. Still OK but
what's happening to the ears.

3rd generation. Things are starting
to go to shit. Is that a skull and cross
bones? What's on his forhead?
What's with the lips?

4th generation. Say what!?!? Buck teeth!?!?
What is that on the hat!?!? What's with the
Pinocchio nose!?!? Is he wearing sunglasses!?!?
Is this even a pirate!?!?

Your patch is the first thing that a person sees when they start to formulate an opinion of your squadron. Don't let bad fighter squadron patch evolution happen to you. When it strikes, sometimes it can be fatal. Take note, 428th no longer around. Maybe the shitty patch had something to do with it.

Of course, the FU Store has the kickass 428th Tactical Fighter Squadron patch available on all sorts of products. Buccaneers, you're squadron may be dead and gone, maybe never to return, but your patch is alive and well in the FU Store. Check out the kickass stuff that's available to help you relive your days as a Buccaneer. Or maybe you're a guy that just needs some FU gear to help you pickup chicks. Women love those romance, swashbuckler books. What would be a better opening than walking into a place with a Buccaneer shirt on? You will be identified immediately as a swashbuckling fighter pilot. Even though you may be neither, women will be drawn to you and you'll be thanking the day you visited Fighter Pilot University. Get your Buccaneer stuff in the Retro Fighter Squadron section of the FU Store.

Fighter Squadron Patch Evolution 2

Tue, 19 May 2009 06:00:00-0500

We discussed how fighter squadron patches can change and evolve over time. In a recent article we mentioned some of the causes for those changes. Below you'll see two patches, very similar, for the 22d Fighter Squadron, the Stingers. On the left is the patch used by the squadron when it was based at Birtburg Air Base, Germany. At that time the Stingers flew the F-15 Eagle. While at Bitburg the squadron had a second nickname, the Adlers; German for Eagle.

In the early 1990's, the squadron relocated just down the road to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany and transitioned to the F-16. Of course, now flying the Viper, the squadron would no longer refer to themselves as the Adlers. Stingers would remain the one and only nickname. Regretfully, the top rocker on the patch was lost in the move. Too bad. That statement, Red Hot Fighters, kicksass. Although the change in the patch is minimal it's just another example of how fighter squadron patches can slowly evolve over time. The 22d FS patch of today is still a kickass patch. It's just a shame that a change had to happen at all.

Speaking of Red Hot Fighters, we've got them in the FU Store. Admit it, that's kickass!! There's a myriad of top quality products emblazoned with the Stingers old patch. Here it is on a gray T-shirt but you can choose from eight colored shirts. We've got the Red Hot Fighters patch paired up with our unique F-4, F-15 and, for the new wave Stinger, the F-16 designs. This patch, and any shirt with it on it, screams fighter pilot. You walk into a bar with a Red Hot Fighters shirt from the FU Store you might as well plan on being the center of attention. Get a new little black book because your old one won't hold all the new phone numbers that will be thrust at you. Get your Red Hot Fighters stuff in the Retro Fighter Squadron section of the FU Store.

Beer Spitfire

Thu, 07 May 2009 06:00:00-0500

US forces have been shackled with this thing called General Order #1 ever since Desert Storm. In a nut shell, it states that forces on the ground are not allowed to consume alcoholic beverages while in foreign combat zones. The order specifies countries where it applies and most of them are Arab states in southwest Asia. This order, for the most part, is to ensure US forces honor a country's non-alcohol culture which is common in many Arab countries. However, the US military has chosen to apply General Order #1 even in countries where consumption of alcohol is allowed, such as Bosnia and Iraq.

Without a doubt General Order #1 has definitely reduced the number of vehicle mishaps, fights, murders, rapes and accidents of all sorts within the US forces but also when they interact with the local populace. However, there is something to say about one or two drinks in the evening helping to reduce the stress of combat operations.

For a short 45 day period in 2003 an industrious US Air Force operations group commander discovered that the list of countries where General Order #1 applied did not include Iraq. His legal folks gave him the go ahead and with his logistics people's help, he set up a three beer a day ration program at Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq. Morale was at an all time high, folks from different units got to know each other and there was a base wide camaraderie. Of course, once the news got out and some generals got their noses out of joint this little Kirkuk experience came to an end.

Below you'll see how in another time military outfits went to great lengths to ensure their military had adequate alcoholic beverages. A ration of rum has been bestowed to the ranks for a thousand years. It's an acknowledgement of a job well done. It's a pat on the back. It's a moment to allow a military member to forget where they are. A moment to taste a bit of home. Maybe it's time to rethink this General Order #1.

No, those are not drop tanks, they are beer kegs! This clever chap flew what had to be a very close contender for best fighter aircraft of WWII.

His unit was stationed in France shortly after D-Day. He had some reason to return to England, then flew back to France with some unofficial "ordnance" under the wings of his Spitfire. When he came down from altitude, his "cargo" was chilled to just the right temperature for a hot June afternoon.

Needless to say, his aircraft received some of the best servicing work from grateful ground crews.

Can you imagine how many kegs a Strike Eagle could carry?

White Cliffs of Dover

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 06:00:00-0500

The Brits are probably the biggest aviation nuts in the world and when it comes to military aviation, and fighters in particular, their enthusiasm increases exponentially. Take a video of some Spitfires flying around, add a song about the White Cliffs of Dover and you're going to have plenty of Brit chubbers.

Speaking of Brit fighters, here's one of our newest T-shirt designs; KILLER STORM. It's a kickass design of the jet that will certainly cause plenty stiff wickets in the UK, the EF-2000, the Typhoon Eurofighter. That's a pretty kickass name, Typhoon, for a kickass jet! It's already flying in the RAF, German, Italian, Spanish and Austrian air forces and soon with the Saudis. Plus, more than likely many other services to include possibly Japan and Australia. If you want chicks all over the world checking you out when you walk down the street you're going to want this shirt. Only available here at the FU Store. That's why the FU Store is there. To help you impress women and earn the respect of men that you deserve. Get your FU gear today.

Fighter Squadron Patch Evolution

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 06:00:00-0500

Below you'll see two patches. Both are for a US Air Force fighter squadron, the 79th Tigers. On the left is a patch worn by the 79th Tactical Fighter Squadron at RAF Upper Heyford, UK, who flew the F-111 Aardvark. On the right is the patch worn today by F-16 Viper drivers of the 79th Fighter Squadron at Shaw AFB, SC. Both squadrons share the same history and heritage but why don't they share the same patch? Sure the basic theme is there; tiger with claws on heart shooting out lightning bolts. Of course, everyone will have their own opinion about which patch is better, but to me the left patch, 79th TFS, is a far better patch because of both the shape of the patch and the artwork, you know it's a tiger. To me, the newer patch on the right looks like a fat, angry gerbil on steroids, wearing a bad toupee. You decide for yourself. Which patch do you prefer?

Squadron patches are part of the glue that binds the men and women of a fighter squadron together. Patches do evolve over time and not always for the better. How and why does the same squadron end up over time with a drastically altered patch? Well, below the patch images you'll find a few ideas that Fighter Pilot University's research department came up with on fighter squadron patch evolution.

We've discussed the importance a squadron patch in the past. A squadron patch is the first impression outsiders have when they formulate an opinion about your squadron. If you've got a kickass patch people expect your squadron to be kickass. If you've got a dorky patch they expect you to be a bunch of dorks. Of course, that's just a first impression and the actual personality, capabilities and kickassness of a squadron depends on the people in it. There have been plenty of great squadrons with bland patches, plenty of awful squadrons with cool patches and certainly most squadrons go through good times and bad, regardless of their patch.

However, it's always nice to have a kickass patch, especially if it comes with a long, colorful history. Even if you were in a squadron during some down years you'd still be proud of the patch if everyone thinks it kicksass. Once your squadron rises back to prominence you're doubly proud; kickass squadron, kickass patch. Your unit may have an awesome patch but if it's been a long time loser squadron, your great patch becomes a beacon of substandard performance and a guy in The Bar will probably say, "Cool patch, but you guys suck!" All you can do is shake your head because he did pay you a complement before he bashed your entire squadron.

Patches evolve over time. Usually this evolution maintains the basic theme of a patch, in spite of changes in shape or color. Really the best patches are those that change the least but there are outside influences that generate a change. Sometimes a patch is altered because of a change in squadron location or a change of aircraft. Sometimes patches change with the times. Sometimes, and this is the worst reason, change is mandated from upon high, from the very top of a military service.

In the early 90's, one particular Chief of Staff of the US Air Force decided to make sweeping changes across the board, some very big changes, some very small. Composite wings were now in vogue; fighters, multi-role, attack jets, and airlift all at one base. Regulations were renumbered. Uniforms changed to the extreme. One of the small changes, but one of the biggest blows to tradition and history, patches would now all have a standardized shape and size. If you're squadron didn't want it's patch changed, if there was history and meaning in the shape of your patch, too bad.

All patches would now be circular. A single bottom rocker would be allowed for unit identification, no artwork or designs just squadron number and the words Fighter Squadron--oh yeah, that was another change, no more Tactical Fighter Squadrons. The maximum diameter of the patch would be three inches. Any artwork, wording, lightning bolts, clouds, rockets, spears, guns, etc., must now fit within the perimeter of that three inch circle.

Some squadrons didn't care much, their patch already fit those parameters, even though three inches was a bit small. Others with objects protruding from the edges of their patch either got rid of the protrusions or scrunched the whole thing down and put their now very little patch inside the three inch circle. Others whose patch had been a shield or diamond or some other unique shape either did the same, placing it in the three inch circle, or tried to maintain their original theme but totally revamped their patch to meet the imposed restrictions. The smart squadrons, those who's commanders had some balls, or at least were as far away from any headquarters as possible, so maybe nobody would notice, just dragged their feet and made no changes.

Sure enough, top dogs come and go and this particular Chief retired and moved on. Not amazingly, most of his changes did too; the big ones and the small ones. If your squadron didn't change your patch you were good to go. If you did, well, unless there was an uproar from within you probably stayed with the new one. Inertia is a powerful thing, the more you got used to your new shitty patch the more acceptable it became. Especially active duty squadrons, who, for the most part, completely recycle their personnel every few years and the squadron memory of the old kickass patch faded away. Unless someone remembers just how kickass their patch used to be and puts in motion the procedure to change it back--yes, there are offices that approve patch changes--then your squadron may just be one of those; "Kickass squadron, but your patch sucks."