DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- The 512th Force Support Squadron unveiled its new morale patch, Nov. 12 on Dover Air Force Base, Delaware.
The patch is the first emblem the squadron has ever had.
“When I arrived to Dover in September 2020, I felt like the squadron was missing a sense of belonging to something bigger than themselves,” said Maj. Michelle Rogers, the 512th FSS commander. “So, I inquired about the patch and learned that FSS had never had one.”
Comprised of the Military Personnel and Communications Flights, the Airman and Family Readiness Center, and Force Development, FSS delivers services to 1,750 reservists assigned to the 512th Airlift Wing.
“From the second an Airman joins the wing, FSS is intertwined with that Airman’s career,” said Rogers. “I wanted the squadron to know they’re the spark that ignites Dover’s mission readiness.”
Rogers selected Master Sgt. Ian Crowley, Tech. Sgt. Alyssa Blight, Staff Sgt. Michael Brower, each assigned to the FSS, and Laura Coseglia, the 512th A&FR director, to design the patch.
“FSS didn’t have anything that melded us together,” said Crowley, who initially researched the process for designing a squadron patch a few years ago. “We were missing that sense of community. My hope now is for the squadron to feel pride in identifying themselves as belonging to the FSS when they wear the patch.”
The patch features the tagline “We Ignite the Fight,” and various symbols that represent the FSS.
“The phoenix on the patch symbolizes eternal rebirth and coincides with the constant changes of the Air Force,” explained Rogers. “The stars on the patch symbolize the four major units we serve in the wing – the 512th Mission Support, Operations, and Maintenance groups; and the 512th Aerospace Medicine Squadron.”
Crowley also explained that although the patch is currently a morale patch. It can become FSS’ official squadron patch after it is approved by the Institute of Heraldry, which is responsible for furnishing heraldic services to the President of the United States and all Federal Government agencies.
The unveiling of the patch as it stands was a historical moment for FSS.
“I needed to change the stigma of what FSS does,” said Rogers. “I wanted something big and bold to let people know who we are. Our mission is powerful and should be recognized as such.”