U.S. AIR FORCE Bad To The Bone Patch by COMMANDO

The COMMANDO U.S. AIR FORCE Bad To The Bone Patch commemorates Undergraduate Pilot Training Class 1989-04 at Columbus Air Force Base (CAFB), Mississippi. The class identity and motto, “Bad To The Bone”, reflect the tradition of student pilots creating distinctive patches to represent their training group, shared experiences and class spirit.

Columbus AFB has been a significant centre of United States military aviation training since the Second World War. Selected by the War Department in 1941, the base began training pilots in 1942. After serving other military roles during the following decades, Columbus returned to its pilot-training mission in July 1969, when the first Undergraduate Pilot Training class of the new era began.

The 14th Flying Training Wing was activated at Columbus in June 1972, and the 14th Student Squadron became an important part of the base's training organisation. The squadron was responsible for student administration and support during the period in which Class 1989-04 undertook its training. It was inactivated in June 1990 as the training organisation changed, with the 42nd Flying Training Squadron taking over its student squadron role. The 14th Student Squadron was later reactivated in December 2011.

Student pilot class patches are an established part of Columbus AFB heritage. Rather than simply reproducing official unit emblems, individual classes were encouraged to develop their own designs and mottos to build identity, camaraderie and morale during the demanding pilot-training programme. The “Bad To The Bone” patch represents this tradition and a particular class in Columbus's long aviation-training history.

Features

• COMMANDO U.S. Air Force pilot-training class patch
• Commemorates Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi
• Identifies Undergraduate Pilot Training Class 1989-04
• Features the class motto “Bad To The Bone”
• Represents the tradition of student pilot class morale patches
• Suitable for military patch collections and aviation memorabilia displays
• Sewn-on attachment

Specifications

Brand: COMMANDO
Product Code: BD0146
Patch Type: Embroidered class patch
Dimensions: 150 x 105 mm
Barcode / GTIN: 9357994009641
Attachment: Sew-on

A distinctive piece of U.S. Air Force pilot-training memorabilia, this Columbus AFB Class 1989-04 patch is a fitting addition to collections focused on military aviation, student pilot training and the heritage of the 14th Flying Training Wing.