New today

[48MMS]

Received these two today, the 49th Bombardment Squadron from Hunter AFB, flying the B-47.

[48MMS]

Also one I have never seen, the 11th Organizational Maintenance Squadron. This is a special ebay win as it secured only my bid. I am really surprised that it didn't go for more than the $9.99 I paid!

[Johnny Signor]

I don't know how you feel about maintenance patches, but I think they're not as "flashy/collectable" to most as are the Fighter/Bomber etc types and this may be why it didn't go any higher, just my opinion, I used to collect USAF etc patches some years ago and I always came up against the fact that if I wanted to swap for or buy a "Flying unit" they were always "worth more" either $ or trade and if I had an OMS/CAMS/ etc type I couldn't even give them away.

But this may have been the era that at the time I was collecting , about 20 years ago , anyway I just wanted to ad that, I think it's a great looking and very colorful patch but I know others who would say big fat hairy deal about it, it comes down to really what you want/like to collect I guess.

[48MMS]

Being a retired Weapons Systems Specialist on the F-111, A-10, DC-130, O-2A, HH-53 and F-16, I am partial to maintenance units. Fighter and bomber units collect the glory much as a quarterback does on a football team, but pilots like quarterbacks are not much without those who keep the planes, tanks, ships and missiles maintained (or in a quarterbacks case, the offensive line, receivers, etc.). ultimately however the real vital link may be the services squadrons that supply us with food and clothing. All jesting aside, I realize the military is "United we stand, divided we fall", and every component is vital. I agree that if you find pleasure in collecting, then nobody including I should belittle those efforts.

[48MMS]

Another favorite maintenance patch, the 461st Field Maintenance Squadron. I thought too after my last reply, that it is a good thing (for me) that maintenance units are not as coveted as Fighter/Bomber units. This 461st was a $12 buy.

[Johnny Signor]

Yeah that is one of the good advantages of the "maintenance" patches , they're usually fairly cheap, I wasn't trying to say that they're no less an inportant part of the USAF mission as you mentioned , I just in my time of collecting found that they weren't as "Flashy" sought after as the "Fly Boy" ones are, I readily agree that without the "Fix-um units the Fly-um" units are going nowhere

Johnny

[Lee Ragan]

Nothing wrong at all with collecting non-flying USAF patches. I've got hundreds of them. Sure the flying unit patches, especially the color versions are neat, but I like the support unit patches just as well and you guys remember that the subdued patches are going away. Twenty years from now, many will be hard to find.

Support and maintenance squadron patches can be summed up with, "it may take a college education to fly 'em, but it takes a high school diploma to fix 'em". :thumbsup:

[Randy]

Nothing wrong at all with collecting non-flying USAF patches. I've got hundreds of them. Sure the flying unit patches, especially the color versions are neat, but I like the support unit patches just as well and you guys remember that the subdued patches are going away. Twenty years from now, many will be hard to find.

Support and maintenance squadron patches can be summed up with, "it may take a college education to fly 'em, but it takes a high school diploma to fix 'em". :thumbsup:

 

Actually Lee, the way we usually said it on the flight line was "It takes a college degree to break 'em, and a high school diploma to fix 'em!" Funny, the only maintenance patches I keep are the ones I was in. I do agree, there are alot of sharp color maintenance patches out there. I focused my efforts early on to USAF full color fighter/tac recon only. I couldn't afford to branch out if I wanted to, it would short change me in other areas. Keep posting Al, you have some nice ones.

 

Randy

[tbirdismypride]

Nothing wrong at all with collecting non-flying USAF patches. I've got hundreds of them. Sure the flying unit patches, especially the color versions are neat, but I like the support unit patches just as well and you guys remember that the subdued patches are going away. Twenty years from now, many will be hard to find.

Support and maintenance squadron patches can be summed up with, "it may take a college education to fly 'em, but it takes a high school diploma to fix 'em". :thumbsup:

 

I am glad to read your post because I am kinda partial to the USAF Subdued patches myself. My subdued patches outnumber my colored patches by far!!

[48MMS]

Thanks Randy, here's one I got with the 461st FMS. Likewise on collecting fighter stuff, I think it would cost a mint to get into fighter stuff now. The prices for SAC stuff alone is staggering at times. This weekend a 40th AREFS wnt for over $200, more than a 4141st Strategic Wing that I have been after for AGES!!!!! and it went for over $175! I do own the fighter units I was involved with, the 492nd, 493rd, 494th, 495th, 522nd, 523rd, 18th, 91st, 78th and the 466th Tactical Fighter Squadrons.