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No longer
Mystery
Patches, page 2
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2nd Air Expeditionary Group
- HAVE
Shows a B-52 being aerial refueled over
what could
be a map.
Capt Patrick Spaulding
wrote:
"This is a patch designed for the 2nd as in 2nd Air
Expeditionary Group, which was composed of B-52Hs and KC-10s. This was
designed as the group/wing
patch for the deployment of B-52H bombers from the 2nd Bomb Wing at
Barksdale AFB and KC-10s from McGuire AFB to the atoll island of Diego
Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territories (B.I.O.T.). This deployment
was in 1998 and lasted for over six months. The bombers sat CALCM alert
until they were executed and struck targets in Iraq in Dec 1998. The
patch depicts
a B-52 being refueled by a KC-10 as it flies over the outline of the atoll
island of Diego Garcia. Needless to say, it is not SAC related as SAC was
sadly no more by then. I know this because I was part of the
deployment for 78 days, and have that patch as a memento"
Jordan Murphy wrote
"The 2d AEG was stood up @ Diego Garcia from late 1998 to mid 1999. It was
a consolidated unit with BUFFs from Minot & Barksdale and (I think) some
tankers. I puchased a bunch of these from someone who was there for
Operation DESERT FOX. Several personnel and aircraft went directly forward
to RAF Fairford, UK, for Operation ALLIED FORCE/NOBLE ANVIL around 1 Mar
99. Col Floyd Carpenter (our OG in the 5 BW @ the time) went forward from
DG to Fairford. He is now a BG select and 2 BW/CC @ Barksdale |
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Communications?
-
HAVE
Lee Regan wrote
"That unidentified communications patch is the
old Army Air Force Airways Communications Service patch. I believe
it's either late WWII vintage or maybe from the early post war years.
Jerry Polder might have a bit more info on it, but the best I can
remember is that this eventually became Air Force Communications
Service (& later Command)." |
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Busy Island Task Force
Jerry Ponder's book on Air Force patch mottos states that it was worn by
the Diego Garcia B-52 Ocean Surveillance Crews. Who were they?
What wing?
John W. Cook, SMSgt, Retired
CCC@cookieman.org wrote: "Busy Island Task Force was an operation /
training mission that operated out of Andersen AFB, Guam, in the lates
1970's. Conventional capable B-52's were deployed to Guam on a rotational
basis. While at Andersen, they did some conventional bombing, sea lane
surveillance and long distance training sorties. They did venture into
the Indian Ocean on some of their flights."
(John is a military insignia specializing in SAC patches) |
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Strategic Reconnaissance Center
Dean C. Spraggins, USAF (ret)
jspragg@iw.net
wrote, The Strategic Reconnaisance Center was a HQ agency
(SAC/DOR). Tasked with command and control of recce assets, it had it
very own specialized command post, under H wing of Bldg 500. I
spent my final three-plus years on active duty assigned to USSTRATCOM,
but never saw the black-armored, gold-riveted fist inside the
pointy-topped shield you have posted on the lower right corner of your
second page of mystery patches. As you probably know, the STRATCOM
emblem is round, containing the SAC fist (otherwise unaltered) inside
a ring encircled by rope (or twisted/braided something-or-other).
Symbolizing Navy incursion into SAC, it occasionally became an object
of ridicule as the image of "US Life Saver Command." |
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SAC Crow
Dean C. Spraggins, USAF (ret)
jspragg@iw.net
wrote, "The cigar-smoking SAC crow
was the province of the electronic combat community, and was often
worn by B-52 EW officers. The underwing bundle of lightning bolts
represented ECM ("jamming" to the uninitiated). The crow had for some
years been a critter associated with electronic warfare (cf. the
international Association of Old Crows). "Every Crow a Tiger" was a
long-standing motto of bomber EW officers, sometimes printed with this
emblem when it was used on walls or podiums -- hence the tiger tail.
Les Robbins wrote, "The SAC Crow
patches most likely represent the mission of the Electronic Warfare
Officer (EWO) on the crew. He operated radar jamming as well as radar
homing and warning equipment on the aircraft. A nickname for the EWO is
"Raven". Most all EWOs belong to the Association of "Old Crows". The crow
on the patch signifies the work that the EWOs do on the many varied
missions of SAC and other commands (ACC including several special ops
missions now). |
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Armament Development Test Center
Jordan Murphy wrote
The Armament
Development Test Center was @ Eglin AFB from 1 Aug 68 to 1 Oct 79. The
history of the unit is contained in:
http://www.apg.eglin.af.mil/history.htm |
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Stratcon - U.S. Army Element
John W Cook, SMSgt (ret)
CCC@cookieman.org wrote: This is
the Shoulder Sleeve Insignia worn by U.S. Army personnel assigned to
STRATCOM. The official names is: U.S. ARMY ELEMENT, STRATCOM.
(John is a military insignia specializing in SAC patches) |
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Combat Evaluation
I asked, "Was this a SAC unit?"
Hank Mollenaeur
provided the answer::
The 1ST Combat Evaluation Group (1CEVG) was a SAC unit with HQ at
Barksdale AFB - and detachments located around the US - and a few
overseas. They
conducted ground directed bombing and radar bomb scoring (RBS) of
simulated
and real bomb drops at USAF ranges. I was personally stationed at 2
detachments - Matagorda Island, Tx and Richmond, Ky.
1CEVG apparently became known as the 99 Electronic Combat Range Group
(99ECRG) around 1990 - which was subsequently disbanded in 1995
Related web sites with the same patch
http://www.usafpatches.com/gallery/wgs0001.shtml - ID of your
patch from
USAF Patches.com (go there and search for your other patches)
http://www.usafpatches.com/articles/sac/0001cevg.shtml - Brief
history of
CEVG
http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/3996/ - Unofficial home
page
http://www.det6.com - Det 6 -
Bayshore, Michigan
http://limasite85.us/memorials1.htm - Lima Site in Laos
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/combatevaluationgroup/messages/1?viscount=100
- maillist site for former members of 1CEVG
http://www.dod.mil/news/Jun1995/b063095_bt365-95.html - AF
announcment of
the demise of 99 ECRG |
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Air Force Missile Development Center
Ran across the patch, but lost the image.
some information from John W Cook, SMSgt (ret)
CCC@cookieman.org
It was not a SAC Unit. After
World War II, the future of the Alamogordo installation was uncertain.
In fact, rumors spread concerning the closure of the site, fueled by
the fact that most operations had ceased. However, in 1947, a new era
began when Air Materiel Command announced the air field would be its
primary site for the testing and development of pilot less aircraft,
guided missiles, and other research programs. For the next 25 years
the site, which became known as the Holloman Air Development Center,
and later the Air Force Missile Development Center, launched many
missiles including Tiny Tim (the first Army rocket), Rascal, V-2, XQ-2
Drone, Falcon, MACE, Matador, and Shrike. On January 13, 1948 the
Alamogordo installation was renamed Holloman Air Force Base, in honor
of the late Col. George V. Holloman, a pioneer in guided missile
research. |
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