Source: Thomas Northcut / Getty
On Monday, the Army West Point football team unveiled their new uniforms that is paying homage to our World War II paratroopers that they plan on wearing during the game against Navy.
Their announcement came
via Twitter:
The Army-Navy rival teams play against each other this Saturday and this is when we get to see those amazing uniforms in action.
The Army team will be sporting a regimental patches from sub-units of the 82nd Airborne on one shoulder and the American flag on the other shoulder. The regimental patches varies from 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment aka “Devil’s Baggy Pants”, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment aka “H-Minus”, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment aka “Raff’s Ruffians”, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment aka “Fury from the sky/ El Diablo.”
The
beatnavyuniform.com website not only teaches us the history behind the uniforms, but shows where their patches are coming from.
First off, the website tells us that they stand for “Valor, Courage, and Sacrifice” it says,
“Army West Point Football and official apparel sponsor Nike unveil the 2016 Army-Navy Game uniform. This uniform was inspired by the World War II paratroopers of the 2nd Airborne Division. We honor the past by re-telling stories of valor, courage, and sacrifice. Inspired, humbled, and motivated by the soldiers that came before us, we don their patches, adopt their mottos, and hold their deeds close to our hearts.”
Their uniforms will also have the “AA” patch that stands for “All-American,” a nickname that the 82nd received during WWII because the had members from each state.
The history of the 82nd Airborne is listed as follow:
“Highly trained and highly disciplined, the soldiers of the 82nd Airborne were asked to spearhead the invasions of Italy, Normandy, and Holland. With little to no reinforcements or relief in the most adverse conditions, their physical and mental toughness was pushed to the limits. Their unwavering brotherhood and intense dedication to success, ultimately led to mission accomplishment.”
And each sub-unit had a tactical helmet symbols that was to help with identifications too.
