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Some Phoenix Raven patches


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Patchcollector

Happy Saturday All,
I picked up this small group of Phoenix Raven pieces awhile back.For those that do not know about this interesting Unit here is some info I found online:

 

This Elite Force Protects Vulnerable Air Force Aircraft In The Most Dangerous Places On Earth

 

Tyler Rogoway
12/21/15 6:15pm Filed to: FORCE PROTECTION

 

 

 

The United States Air Force has a little-known team of elite security commandos that are highly trained for a very particular job, protecting aircraft and crews from enemy assaults while on the ground in dangerous locales. They are called the Phoenix Ravens.
Born in 1997, the Phoenix Raven program is a specialized force that provides protection for aircraft in high-threat or unknown threat areas. Whether the danger is from terrorist groups, organized crime, narco-militias or even a desperate populace that has just experienced a natural disaster, Phoenix Ravens may be the only thing standing between these threats and a very big, expensive and vulnerable winged target with an American flag on its tail.

 

Phoenix Ravens—sometimes nicknamed “Murder Crews” due to their black bird moniker—work in small groups, usually of under a half dozen, and integrate directly with a mission’s aircrew. Not only can they provide an inner circle of security around the aircraft, but they can also work with the pilots and loadmasters on mission planning.

 

 

This can come in the form of providing intelligence about local threats. coming up with operational plans for landing at a particular site, and figuring out how to move sensitive cargo quickly once they have arrived. Above all else it means planning for contingencies.
There are only about 200 active duty Phoenix Ravens, although this number is augmented by the National Guard and Reserve personnel. Still, the number is relatively tiny when it comes to U.S. military units. As such the force is in very high demand, especially since the Global War on Terror begun.

 

Today, Phoenix Ravens work in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as Africa, South America and pretty much any place where America’s footprint is light, but cargo still needs to be moved. Some missions these teams will support are deeply classified, as such we may never truly know the extent of their participation in changing the course of world events.

 

According to the Air Force, Phoenix Ravens’ unique training includes:

 

 

“The Phoenix Raven training course is conducted by the United States Air Force Expeditionary Center at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. The intensive three-week, 12-hour-a-day course covers such subjects as cross-cultural awareness, legal considerations, embassy operations, airfield survey techniques, explosive ordnance awareness, aircraft searches, and unarmed self-defense techniques. Students are exposed to more than 70 use-of-force scenarios where stress is simulated using role players. Training includes instruction and realistic practical exercises in antiterrorism/force protection, weapon system security, verbal judo, combatives, tactical baton employment and advanced firearms proficiency.”

 

Once completing the arduous course, newly minted Phoenix Ravens get their patch and a distinct member number based on the order in which they were accepted into the unit. The lower the number, the more respect. There have only been about 2,000 of Phoenix Ravens in their nearly 20-year history.

 

Once becoming a Phoenix Raven, other advanced training becomes accessible, including cross-service opportunities. Sniper/counter-sniper, advanced intelligence, counter-terrorism, Airborne and SERE training opportunities are available, although getting tapped for some of them is very competitive. Some Phoenix Ravens have even graduated from the U.S. Army’s Ranger course.


 

After the 9/11 attacks, the Air Force become increasingly worried that one of their aircraft would get hijacked while transiting airfields abroad. The service turned to the Phoenix Ravens to become a hijacking counter-assault force capable of taking back aircraft from the enemy’s grasp. They learned the art of close quarters combat (CQB) within the tight confines of an aircraft from the U.S. Air Marshalls as well as other federal agencies, such as the FBI Hostage Rescue Team.

 

Phoenix Ravens are not just tasked with providing support for “gray aircraft” missions; they also will accompany some of America’s most important aircraft to places where security is uncertain. This may include flying with generals to far-flung locales aboard the Air Force fleet of private jets (C-20, C-37 etc), or even accompanying the Secretary Of State’s aircraft on a global tour (C-32A, C-40 etc). The Secretary of Defense’s aircraft (E-4B, C-17 etc) or even Air Force One may take a contingent of Phoenix Ravens along to make sure the aircraft remains untouched by unauthorized personnel while on the ground.

 

The services that Phoenix Ravens provide had been in such high demand over the years that an abbreviated ten day training course was developed to provide similar, albeit more rudimentary aircraft protection capabilities to units deployed abroad. Named Fly Away Security Teams (FASTs), the Air Force describes their training as such:

 

 

“During the 10-day Fly Away Security Team course at the Expeditionary Center, students receive classroom training in areas such as fly away security concept of operations, legal use of force, verbal judo and cross cultural communication. They also learn practical, out of the classroom, training in subjects such as self defense and anti-hijacking training. The first course took place at the Expeditionary Center in 2007.”

 

Both Phoenix Ravens and FAST units can find themselves on a dark dirt runway, hundreds or even thousands of miles from any allied reinforcements, protecting a flying fuel tank worth tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars, as well as its cargo and its crew.
It is a daring and often thankless job that is more relevant today than anytime in the last two decades as threats around the globe have become increasingly more decentralized. It also allows our aircrews to fly directly into disaster zones with the confidence that they won’t be overrun by the same desperate people they are trying to help.

 

So next time you hear about an Air Force cargo aircraft appearing in a war-torn land, or of one of our heads of state visiting a not-so secure destination, there is a good chance the Phoenix Ravens are there too.

 

 


Here is a link to the website where I found the above info:

 

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/this-elite-force-protects-vulnerable-air-force-aircraft-1749129320

post-13386-0-27569000-1485012091_thumb.jpg

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Defensor Fortis is a standard USAF Security Forces officer beret flash worn by all SF officers. Metal rank insignia is pinned on to it. The enlisted version is pictured below.

 

Randy

post-8832-0-94323000-1485056482.jpg

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That is quite the article! The Phoenix Raven guys I knew simply considered themselves as Security Forces with additional training. This reminds me of the IFYAAYAS that the Ordnance guys put out as a joke.

 

-Ski

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Patchcollector

I just re-read the article and it looks to me to be an accurate representation of the Phoenix Ravens' duties,but anyway,back to the patches.

 

Thanks for posting the info on the Beret patch;I already was aware of its' use but wanted to present the group as I received it.Since the Phoenix Ravens are Security Personnel it makes sense that it was part of the group.

 

I think that the scrolls are the toughest pieces to find.While doing some online research I learned that the long scrolls are most likely the earliest made ones.The scrolls presented here all appear to have been used.

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I had (or maybe have still) some of these patches in a very large size (6"+) and never knew what they were. I always assumed it had something to do with drones or something else, but clearly I was wrong! Great info!

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I just re-read the article and it looks to me to be an accurate representation of the Phoenix Ravens' duties,but anyway,back to the patches.

 

Thanks for posting the info on the Beret patch;I already was aware of its' use but wanted to present the group as I received it.Since the Phoenix Ravens are Security Personnel it makes sense that it was part of the group.

 

I think that the scrolls are the toughest pieces to find.While doing some online research I learned that the long scrolls are most likely the earliest made ones.The scrolls presented here all appear to have been used.

 

 

I know you want these guys to be some sort of special ops types, but they are not.

 

-Ski

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Patchcollector

Here is some more info about the Phoenix Ravens I found here:

 

http://blogs.uakron.edu/firstyearvoices/2013/08/16/murder-crew-the-united-states-air-force-phoenix-ravens/

 

MURDER CREW: THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE PHOENIX RAVENS
rar71 / August 16, 2013 / Comments Off on Murder Crew: The United States Air Force Phoenix Ravens / Volume I, Issue 2
by Benjamin King

 

In February 1997, former Air Mobility Command Commander General Walter Kross implemented the Phoenix Raven program. Since then, Ravens from within the AMC have conducted more than 6,000 missions around the globe to combat terrorism. The Phoenix Raven program ensures a level of close-in security for aircraft transiting airfields where security is unknown or additional security is needed to counter immediate threats within the country in which they have landed. Phoenix Ravens are on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year. In the event that a short notice mission would require their assistance, Ravens would report to the section and fly. In order to earn a spot in this group a motivation level is required well beyond that of their peers. I am curious to see, with all this research that I have conducted, if the information obtained can enlighten me from where I once started as a candidate to where I have ended as a former insider.

 

Wait . . . who is being murdered?
As a former member of the Phoenix Raven unit and a current civilian looking in, I am not sure what to expect when I look at it from the outside. I consider myself an insider to the group, with good working relationships with most of the men and women who are still operational Ravens, otherwise known as the “Murder Crew.” Murder in this context doesn’t mean to kill. A group of ravens is known as a murder, hence “Murder Crew.” I fit in well to this unit due to the fact that I served as Raven 1894. This individual number corresponds to the number of Ravens who have earned this title. The initiation starts with the pre-school house indoctrination. Three weeks at the Raven section located at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, is where it all begins for those who wish to earn a coveted number, and responsibility not easily achieved by many. The first week, also referred to as “hell week,” includes, but is not limited to: 10 mile run days, thousands of over-head arm claps, push-ups, sit-ups, and flutter kicks. Flutter kicks is an exercise where one lies down on their back, raises both legs up six inches, and kicks their legs up and down. This training is intended to put the candidates under huge amounts of stress while they try to complete simple tasks the trainers have assigned. A candidate is someone who is being trained to become a Raven. The simple task includes memory work a candidate needs to memorize. While they are doing flutter kicks, a trainer may come up to the candidate and ask a memory question. It’s a good training technique to see how they will handle pressure while on a mission. If they can’t do an exercise and answer a simple question during training, how are they expected to accomplish multiple tasks and make multiple decisions while on a mission? It helps take their mind off the pain while also reinforcing the simple memory work.
The second week is when hand-to-hand combat skills are taught which are necessary to fight off potential threats. Also taught in the second week is an Israeli fighting technique called “Krav Maga.” It is known for its focus on real-world situations and extremely efficient, brutal counter attacks. It focuses on weapon takeaways from an armed adversary. Ravens are taught how to disarm individuals with weapons such as pistols, rifles, knives, and blunt objects. By week three, Raven candidates are honing their new skills, which will help them at the actual schoolhouse, located at Fort Dix, New Jersey, to do it all over again. Once new Raven graduates, they are assigned to their sections located at bases that have operational Ravens.
When I arrived at my section as brand new Raven 1894, I thought everyone in the section was the best the base had to offer when it came to Raven flyaway security. I thought they were tough guys who didn’t put up with much guff. My attitude towards the men in my section changed the more I flew missions alongside them. I was more at ease and really got to know them as individuals, not just as Ravens. The social structure is based on rank within the military. For example, a Staff Sergeant will have more influence over the others than an Airman First Class would. The values of this unit are mainly focused on everyone within the section looking out for one another. They depended on me, as I depended on them to get home safely. In the military, there are as many different viewpoints as there were different types of individuals with them. One may be a Christian while the other is Agnostic. As long as a Raven member could do the job, it didn’t really matter when it came to their lifestyle choices. As for the rules, it depended on the situation. Kind of like what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. What happens on a mission stays on the mission. The other rules are more just common sense based. Safety, military bearing, and day-to-day operations are common everyday rules to abide by. The Raven patch is a big part of the culture. Ravens are easily recognized on base because of their patch, which is worn on the right shoulder of their flight suit.

 

A lot can be read about a person by the patch they wear on their shoulder
The Phoenix Raven patch is earned, not handed out. It is round, and about the size of a typical coaster. It is bordered in black, encompassing a deep blue background with the words “Phoenix Raven” on top and “Global Protection” on the bottom. Located in the center is a raven outlined in black against a light grey background. The raven has red wings, orange talons, and a yellow eye. In its talons it is holding a blue representation of Earth. On the Earth is a yellow emblem for the “Air Mobility Command” in which the Ravens operate.
The function of the patch is to show what military group one belongs to. It is worn on the right shoulder of a Raven’s green flight suit. Ravens wear a flight suit while flying on their missions. When worn by a Raven on a military base, that individual is identified as a member of a top-notch group. Most men and women on base know the types of individuals who have earned this patch. The Raven section will host demonstrations for the base and its commanders to show them what a Raven can do and how they perform their job. When the patch is worn, an individual’s status as an insider is shown to everyone who sees it. Just like motorcycle groups have a patch on the back of their jackets to show which group they associate with, it is the same with the Raven patch. Before a Raven can apply to join, they first begin as police officers on the base. Issuing citations, responding to domestic disturbances and conducting traffic stops are normal day-to-day operations for a base police officer. The patch also distinguishes the difference between a regular straight leg police officer and a Raven.

 

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Patchcollector

I had (or maybe have still) some of these patches in a very large size (6"+) and never knew what they were. I always assumed it had something to do with drones or something else, but clearly I was wrong! Great info!

 

 

Glad to help.Are your Phoenix Raven patches theatre made?

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Glad to help.Are your Phoenix Raven patches theatre made?

 

Yes they are. Came out of a patch shop in Baghdad. I'll have a look to see if I still have any left and get pics.

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Patchcollector

 

Yes they are. Came out of a patch shop in Baghdad. I'll have a look to see if I still have any left and get pics.

 

I hope that you can find them,I would enjoy seeing them.

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