"Loose Hawgs", 1969
The patch is a circle with a gold border. The top half of the
background is blue with a white "34" in the upper tight. The
lower half of the filed has alternating red and white stripes
converging at the center of the patch. A gray A-10 Thunderbolt
II with a P-47 Thunderbolt immediately below it dominates the
center. A bolt of lightning, gold with a white border, extends
from the upper left to the lower right. A gray and purple
armored hand holds the bolt, and Polaris lies immediately below
the hand. The dominate colors represent the four classes at the
Air Force Academy. Though both aircraft are nicknamed
"Thunderbolt," the A-10 symbolizes the modern American Air
Force while the P-47 serves as a reminder of its rich heritage.
The thunderbolt shows the strength and power of the Air Force,
and the arm poised to throw the thunderbolt serves as a warning
to potential aggressors that America is ready and willing to use
military might to maintain its freedom and society. The
thunderbolt patch, the squadron's third, was designed by Tracy
M. Murakami, and approved for use in September 1981.
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
