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Air Force Football Unveils “Special Operations Command” Uniforms for Navy Game

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Good morning, Uni Watchers. Happy Humpday!

Yesterday, Air Force unveiled their 2024 “Air Power Legacy Series” uniform, and this year the team will honor Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). The Air Force Air Power Legacy Series began in the 2016 season, and they have been wearing a special uniform each season to honor different units or machinery in their branch of the Armed Forces. They’ve featured everything from the shark-tooth nose cone art on many of their air craft, to such planes as the AC-130, F-35, B-52 and C-17, as well as the Tuskeegee Airmen. In 2022, the Falcons honored the Space Force, and last year it was the Doolittle Raiders.

As always, we’ll start off with the hype video.

The Air Force video is slick and well-produced, but like most college football uniform videos, it also features a lot of quick cuts and not too many views of the actual uniform, either in the video or in still photos. But we’ll go over the uniform anyway.

The star of the show this year — as it has been in the past — is the helmets.

According to the Air Force, “The helmet features the official emblem of AFSOC. The back bumper of the helmet highlights AFSOC’s motto, ‘Any Place, Any Time, Anywhere.’ A sticker on the back of the helmet highlights the Air Force Special Tactics logo with a lightning bolt, green feet, and dagger, representing the ‘First there, that others may live’ community. The front bumper of the helmet features the Special Tactics Combat Control motto ‘First There’.”

The helmets will have three different neck bumpers, with each containing a different part of AFSOC’s motto. You can also see the stickers on the backs of the helmets here:

Here are the front and sides:

Here are the details of the graphics found on the top/sides of the helmet (which itself is derived from the AFSOC logo):

The uniform itself is somewhat simple — it’s anthracite for both the jersey and the pants. The front of the jersey features the words “AIR FORCE” in white block lettering, with white numbers outlined in red.

Although it wasn’t shown in the video or stills, each player will have a name plate on the right chest of the jersey. The right sleeve features an American flag, rendered in black and white, and with the field facing forward.

The left sleeve showcases one of three different badges representative of Air Force Special Tactics.

On the back of the jersey will be AFSOC in the traditional nameplate.

In lieu of stripes, the pants will feature a dagger, a symbol of special operations, on the left leg and the Special Tactics Combat Control motto “First There” on the right leg.

While Air Force didn’t provide many quality photos of the uniforms, they did provide a couple handy-dandy guides to the details (but there is a full fiew of the uniform):

Here’s one shot of the full uniform (sorry for the grainy image, it’s a still from the video):

And a small gallery with a few “action” shots from the video:

The Falcons will wear the special uniform for the Navy game scheduled for Saturday, October 5, in Falcon Stadium and broadcasted on CBS.

__________

I wish the Air Force had provided a better gallery of photos, so my apologies there. However, as far as special uniforms go, this one feels much more run-of-the-mill than some of the other uniforms the Falcons have worn in this series. The Special Ops Command provide invaluable service to our nation, so honoring them in this way is fitting. The Air Power Series uniforms don’t need to be flashy — and this one certainly is not — but it’s not overdone. And unlike the non-Academy schools, it’s perfectly fine for Air Force (or Army or Navy) to create special uniforms to honor various units and personalities and equipment. It’s not a great uniform — as some of the special Army, Navy and Air Force football uniforms have been in the past — but it’s a solid one, and it should look good on the field when Air Force takes on Navy this coming October 5th.

I’m sure Jimmer and Terry will have full coverage of this matchup in the upcoming Sunday Morning Uni Watch, which returns at the start of the College Football Season.

Your thoughts?

 

 
  
 

Guess the Game from the Uniform

Guess The Game…

…From The Scoreboard

Today’s scoreboard comes from ojai67.

The premise of the game (GTGFTS) is simple: I’ll post a scoreboard and you guys simply identify the game depicted. In the past, I don’t know if I’ve ever completely stumped you (some are easier than others).

Here’s the Scoreboard. In the comments below, try to identify the game (date and location, as well as final score). If anything noteworthy occurred during the game, please add that in (and if you were AT the game, well bonus points for you!):

Please continue sending these in! You’re welcome to send me any scoreboard photos (with answers please), and I’ll keep running them.

 

 

Guess the Game from the Uniform


Based on the suggestion of long-time reader/contributor Jimmy Corcoran, we’ve introduced a new “game” on Uni Watch, which is similar to the popular “Guess the Game from the Scoreboard” (GTGFTS), only this one asked readers to identify the game based on the uniforms worn by teams.

Like GTGFTS, readers will be asked to guess the date, location and final score of the game from the clues provided in the photo. Sometimes the game should be somewhat easy to ascertain, while in other instances, it might be quite difficult. There will usually be a visual clue (something odd or unique to one or both of the uniforms) that will make a positive identification of one and only one game possible. Other times, there may be something significant about the game in question, like the last time a particular uniform was ever worn (one of Jimmy’s original suggestions). It’s up to YOU to figure out the game and date.

Today’s GTGFTU comes from Ty Webb.

Good luck and please post your guess/answer in the comments below.

 

 

And finally...

…that’s all for the early article. I should have at least a couple more pieces today, as well as Anthony’s Ticker, so be sure to come back for more.

Everyone have a good Wednesday, and I’ll catch you here tomorrow morning.

Peace,

PH

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Comments (27)

    The uniform is OK but that helmet is really cool. Also with the different neck bumpers, wow!

    Yes, the helmet was great in the first image and even cooler with the back and top views!

    Part of me completely rejects the helmet because it runs contrary to conventional helmet design, but if I shut that part of my brain off, the helmet is amazing.
    My only complaints about the uniform would be them using really really dark gray instead of black. Just go with black. Also, the US flag rendered in black and white. I get why they are doing that, but one of the primary aspects of flag design and value are the colors, so you end up botching whatever flag waving patriotic element you intended by removing the colors. I think in the US we think we can get away with this because of the uniqueness of our flag design, but imagine if nations like France, Italy, Ireland, etc rendered their flag in black and white…

    The flag being the same color scheme as the uniform is true to Air Force uniform design and standards. For example, the Army and Air Force wear the same operational camouflage pattern utility uniforms currently. The Army does use a full color flag on the sleeve while the Air Force uses a “spice brown” color scheme for the flag patch which matches the color scheme of the uniform. So, the Air Force is staying true to form with this football uniform. Using a full-color flag would make this seem more of an Army uniform. I don’t have a comment on whether it makes sense or not to use a subdued flag design here, but it does make it very Air Force authentic.

    GFGS is a plague on college football. In a void, it’s not a bad uniform. The helmet is by far the best part, but it’s just another grey uniform in a world full of them.

    GTGFTS

    21 April 1961
    First ever meeting between the old and new Washington Senators at Metropolitan Stadium.
    Billy Klaus draws a leadoff walk and eventually comes around on a Pete Daley single.
    Expansion Sens finish the game with a 5-3 win. Joe McClain with the win, Ray Moore with the loss and Dave Sisler with the save in a 2:23 contest.

    GTGFTU: 1958 Rose Bowl. Ohio State 10 Oregon 7. I think this year’s matchup will be a bit higher scoring.

    GTGFTS : Friday April 21, 1961: First Minnesota Twins home game ever. Senators 5, Team FNA Senators 3.

    I guess it’s like the N on the Cornhuskers’ helmets – Y’know. It stands for “knowledge”

    Ohio State/Oregon Rose Bowl game, where Jack Crabtree, was named the MVP of the game, even though Oregon lost.

    Someone posing as though they are screaming- check.

    Please keep your hands and arms in the vehicle at all times. The cliche train makes no sudden stops. In fact, it never stops.

    One pic has a player with a gun. Im offended as there has been alot of gun violence in our country and this seems to support gun violence where it isnt necessary. Its a football player.
    If the Washington Bullets cant exist, this photo is completely inappropriate.

    Or…are we all just full of doo doo?

    I love the helmet. I just wish they would have gone with black instead of the ugly grey. That’s just my personal taste though. Love all the logos, slogans, and designs on the uniform though.

    The anthracite gray seems appropriate for military, and specifically the color of many Air Force aircraft. I did some consulting decently at the plant that builds the Apache Helicopter, and even though this is Army, the paint color is reminiscent of this uniform color.

    The Air Force helmet would look better with a smaller version of the insignia on the sides of the helmet. Really can’t see it except from overhead. Looks like players are wearing a feather crown. It just has this weird Nike-Oregon vibe going on.

    Fine for a one-off i guess, but that helmet is just strange looking. With the feathers on top sloping down, it looks like a strange skull cap or something. Not really a fan overall.

    That Air Force uniform is real nice. The helmet is outstanding. I would put it up there with the Oregon duck style beautiful

    Okay, so Air Force is going to go all badass on Navy. So can we expect to see Navy’s helmets feature aircraft carriers blasting F-22s out of the sky?

    Hey, we’re all on the same team, or at least we’re supposed to be.

    Gawd, all this posturing is so tedious.

    As you’re no doubt aware, Navy saves their CIC Trophy game uni for Army. And yes, they’ve been known to…*ahem*… go overboard with those unis.

Comments are closed.