A few obscure patches... kinda rare...

I lost most of my USAF stuff years ago, but my wife managed to hang on to a few old (and somewhat obscure) unit patches.

I worked on the F-4G "Wild Weasel" during operations Desert Storm, and Southern Watch. The F-4Gs were retired shortly thereafter. Ask Zaphod



(This was the Campaign Patch of the 7440th Combat Wing, Incirlik AB, Jan 1991- Apr 1991)

(Incirlik AB)



(4404th Composite Wing (P- Provisional) Dhahran AB, Saudi Arabia, 1991-1992)

(Dhahran AB)

And the most obscure 2, conglomerate patches of the 3552nd FS ( A combination of the F-4Gs from George AFB [35th Fighter Wing] and the F-4Gs from Spangdahlem, AB GE [52nd Fighter Wing]... hence the 3552nd FS )





Ask me what the "VSF" stands for

a reply to: madmac5150

Very Strange Freaks.

Pretty good description for anyone that flew a Weasel.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: madmac5150

Very Strange Freaks.

Pretty good description for anyone that flew a Weasel.

The "urban legend" states that our very brain damaged pilots (all Weasel pilots are a bit messed up) convinced the then 4404th Composite Wing Commander; Brig. Gen Santorelli that "VSF" meant "Victory, Strength, Freedom"... it actually meant "Very Severely F%%%D".

It still ended up on our SQ patch

a reply to: madmac5150

Yeah, I always liked that one. But I always thought it was more fitting as referring to the crew's mental state. You gotta be touched in the head to fly those things. Hella good at what they did though, and clanged when they walked.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: madmac5150

Yeah, I always liked that one. But I always thought it was more fitting as referring to the crew's mental state. You gotta be touched in the head to fly those things. Hella good at what they did though, and clanged when they walked.

All Weasel pilots and maintainers swore by "YGBSM"

(For you "nonners" "YGBSM" means "You Gotta Be Sh!!ing Me" ... )

a reply to: madmac5150

Well yeah, YGBSM that people would volunteer for that mission.

Soo. How did they get them to fly towards the missles?

a reply to: dashen

Because they were insane.

The first Weasels were F-100Fs (two seater). In 45 days, the 354th was down to 1 airframe, four crew members killed, two prisoners, three wounded, and two quit, out of 16 crew members.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: dashen

Because they were insane.

The first Weasels were F-100Fs (two seater). In 45 days, the 354th was down to 1 airframe, four crew members killed, two prisoners, three wounded, and two quit, out of 16 crew members.

Funny... I was assigned to the 354th FS at McChord AFB 1992-94... A-10s...

a reply to: madmac5150

The later Weasels didn't have anything on the early guys. Dear god those guys had balls like you wouldn't believe.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: madmac5150

The later Weasels didn't have anything on the early guys. Dear god those guys had balls like you wouldn't believe.

True... by the third week of Desert Storm, we were targeting ANYTHING with an active radio signal. We started flying the old AGM-45 Shrike missiles just to get rid of them. Half were leaking red phosphorus, but EOD let us fly them.... the war ended up being far more hazardous for us weapons loaders than it was for our zippersuits...

Because they were insane. The first Weasels were F-100Fs (two seater). In 45 days, the 354th was down to 1 airframe, four crew members killed, two prisoners, three wounded, and two quit, out of 16 crew members.

F100,s were insane to fly as it was with its dancing abilities.

a reply to: Blackfinger

The F-4G "Wild Weasel" was a beast, in its day. Between the AN/APR 47 avionics suite and its AGM-88 HARM missile strike capability, the F-4G was an amazing aircraft...

As a Weasel maintainer... it sucked. For two years I thought that hydraulic fluid was a skin softener....

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: madmac5150

The later Weasels didn't have anything on the early guys. Dear god those guys had balls like you wouldn't believe.

I also worked F-16CJs.... the older generation of "Weasel" pilots were bad ass... the "Viper Drivers"... not so much

originally posted by: madmac5150
True... by the third week of Desert Storm, we were targeting ANYTHING with an active radio signal.

Iraqi SAM sites, Iraqi radar sites, B-52 tail guns.....

originally posted by: Zaphod58

originally posted by: madmac5150
True... by the third week of Desert Storm, we were targeting ANYTHING with an active radio signal.

Iraqi SAM sites, Iraqi radar sites, B-52 tail guns.....

We did fly BUFF escort... long missions; 10 hrs+ (I was a young Airman, and learned about "piddle packs"... LOL)

I was at EOR, and caught a speed brake to the head... haven't been right since...

a reply to: madmac5150

B-52G, 0248 was named "In Harms Way" after Desert Storm. They were being escorted by a Weasel, the Weasel picked up the tail radar on the BUFF, and popped off a HARM, thinking it was a AAA site. The BUFF lost everything aft of the vertical fin, and limped back to Saudi, where it could be repaired enough to get to Guam for repairs.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: madmac5150

edit on 27-11-2016 by madmac5150 because: Double post

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: madmac5150

B-52G, 0248 was named "In Harms Way" after Desert Storm. They were being escorted by a Weasel, the Weasel picked up the tail radar on the BUFF, and popped off a HARM, thinking it was a AAA site. The BUFF lost everything aft of the vertical fin, and limped back to Saudi, where it could be repaired enough to get to Guam for repairs.

The United States Army was kind enough to fire a Patriot missile at an F-15C (A Bitburgh jet) during that conflict. We were on the way to the Class-6 at Incirlik AB when it fired. We bought extra booze that day...

Great stuff!!

Thanks for posting - I had never seen these before.