"Eagle
Eight" 1956
The patch, a large white circle bordered in dark blue, shows
a multicolored F-15 Eagle in its center. "EAGLE" is printed in
dark blue across the top of the aircraft. A dark blue "8" is at
the bottom. Four stars—colored gold, blue, silver, and red—sit
on the right-hand side of the emblem.
The Eighth Squadron chose the F-15 for its emblem for two
reasons: The F-15 was the newest interceptor in the Air Force
inventory, and the words eagle and eight begin with the same
letter. The ghost gray color, along with the plane’s leading
edge, is the color used by the Air Force Aggressor squadrons.
The four colored stars represent the four classes at the
academy. The patch symbolizes Eighth Squadron’s aggressiveness
in intercepting and destroying its enemies.
This fourth patch worn by the squadron was approved in July
1975.
Information gathered for the page from
"Squadron Insignia of the United States Air Force Academy" by P.
Michael Sheridan, Library of Congress Catalog Number: 90-62369
