ARMY NAVY GAME 2024 UNIFORMS REVEALED: HONORING THE JOLLY ROGERS
One of the most thrilling rivalries in collegiate athletics is the Army-Navy Game, when tradition and intense competitiveness collide. These two teams compete annually in a match that transcends football and symbolizes the honor and commitment of their respective military branches.
The Army-Navy game 2024 uniforms will honor a legendary period of Navy history, making it even more remarkable. In remembrance of the great Jolly Rogers, Navy Athletics and Under Armour announced the 2024 Army-Navy game suit.
Players and fans alike will remember this year's battle even more because of these outfits, which honor the squadron's heroic acts and tradition.
What the Army-Navy Game 2024 Uniforms Will Look Like
The Army and Navy unveiled the new uniforms for the Army-Navy Game this season. What needs to be highlighted, though, is what the new uniforms stood for. In remembrance of the 101st Airborne Division, the Black Knights will wear black uniforms with white markings when the teams take the field on December 14th. As part of their commemoration of World War II, the Midshipmen will also pay tribute to the Jolly Rogers, the most deadly fighter unit in naval aviation history.
The Black Knights' Army-Navy Game uniforms feature a helmet bearing the words "Screaming Eagles," a reference to the unit's now-iconic shoulder patch. In addition, they have the coppered Athena shield, an actual 101st Airborne Screaming Eagle patch, and an invasion star on the right shoulder. They also added markings similar to the ones the paratroopers used to identify their units during operations.
The Navy's uniform also gives a nod to the establishment of aircraft Squadron 17 by the U.S. Navy in 1943, when it first flew the F4U-1 Corsair aircraft. Lt. Cmdr. John T. Blackburn, its first commanding officer, wanted his squadron to have a pirate theme, so his sailors created the skull and crossbones symbol and called themselves the Jolly Rogers.
The Midshipmen will be wearing a uniform that closely resembles the color of the Jolly Rogers aircraft and a neckline that features the color of the Jolly Rogers emblem. Its collar stripe is the same as the one on the VF-17's tail fin edge. In addition to the Jolly Rogers stripe on the uniform sleeve, the unit's nine aircraft are represented by the nine chevrons on the pants legs.
The Jolly Rogers Aviation Unit Throughout History
Being the most deadly fighter unit in naval aviation history is a big feat that deserves to be honored through the Army-Navy game 2024 uniforms. The Jolly Rogers were founded in 1943 and continue to represent the U.S. Navy's traditions and high standards of professionalism. Their callsign is Victory, and their tagline is, "Fear the bones."
Over the last sixty-three years, the Skull and Crossbones have flown nine distinct types of fighter aircraft, making them the most recognizable and feared emblem in the world. The Skull and Crossbones made their first flight in January 1943 on the F4U Corsairs belonging to the VF-17, a Navy fighter squadron of World War II. The original Jolly Rogers had killed more than 150 people in the skies over the Pacific by the end of the war.
The Jolly Rogers was deployed on the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) for ten months to assist maritime security operations, continuing the tradition of greatness and setting records within the organization. The record for the longest carrier deployment in the post-Cold War era was set during this 295-day deployment.
The Jolly Rogers spent its whole tour in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa areas of operations, leaving Norfolk in August 2022 and returning in April 2023. The men and women of VFA-103 and other squadrons took part in several exercises involving other countries and combat operations. This happened during this historic deployment to strengthen The North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) capabilities and prevent regional aggression.
The Jolly Rogers of VFA-103 is still a prime example of the professionalism and competence that have long been associated with Naval Aviation. The memory of the bones will live on for many years to come, as the Jolly Rogers emblem is proudly displayed on the tails of the most historically significant fighter squadron in all of Naval Aviation.
The Navy football team is honoring Jolly Rogers for the second time. The first one was at Philadelphia's Municipal Stadium, where the Mids defeated the Cadets 34–14 in 1962, while sporting helmets were modeled after Jolly Rogers.
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