Photo By Staff Sgt. Christopher Morris | The newly adopted patch sits upon the shoulder of an Airman for the first time. The...... read more read more
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An azure sky adorned with a sword, a globe, and wings sits proudly upon the shoulder of a young Airman. Inscribed upon it are the words “SI VIS PACEM PARA BELLUM,” which translates from Latin to “If you want peace, prepare for war.” The patch, which belongs to the 315th Security Forces Squadron (SFS) of Joint Base Charleston, S.C., is the latest squadron patch to enter into Air Force history.
The men and women of the 315th SFS are no strangers to adaptability and readiness. The squadron of Reserve Citizen Airmen finally pinned on their official unit patch Saturday, June 4, 2021. Although their emblem is new, the 315th SFS is far from inexperienced; the recent patch ceremony was nearly 70 years in the making.
Established as the 315th Air Police Squadron on at Brady Airfield, Japan, on May 23, 1952, the 315th SFS is only five years younger than the Air Force itself. The squadron hit the ground running, too, heading straight into the Korean War. The Airmen of the 315th SFS supported the campaign until its resolution in July of 1953, for which they were awarded the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation. With the war over, the squadron was inactivated on Jan. 18, 1955, but they would return.
The person responsible for creating the patch, Tech. Sgt. Richard Gallagher, 315th SFS, said he thought of his unit’s history of service as he designed the new unit patch.
“Everyone wants to leave their mark,” Gallagher said. “Everyone wants to contribute when they can.”
July 1971 saw the unit reactivated, but they had a fresh name and home station. They were now the 315th Security Police Squadron of Phan Rang Air Base, Vietnam. The newly-reactivated unit had little trouble finding their footing in Southeast Asia. They were only activated for nine months, but they garnered an impressive three campaign streamers, the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm, and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat “V” (valor) device. In March 1973, the 315th SFS was inactivated once again, coinciding with the Vietnam Ceasefire of March 1972.
"I think if you look at Tech. Sgt. Gallagher’s design, and the motto on our patch, it fits in well with how we’ve done things in the past,” said Master Sgt. Jerry Henning, 315th Security Forces Squadron.
Henning is the 315th SFS’s most senior member; he joined the unit in 1993.
Upon returning from Vietnam, the 315th SFS relocated to Joint Base Charleston, S.C., their current home, in 1976. This time, they were called the 315th Weapons System Security Flight, a namesake they would keep for over a decade.
The 315th SFS would change its name once more, before finally settling upon their current name in 1997.
"After being with the unit for almost 20 years, it’s awesome being able to see this happen,” Henning said. “It’s about time.”
| Date Taken: | 06.05.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 09.27.2021 15:27 |
| Story ID: | 405251 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, SC, US |
| Web Views: | 253 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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