Six months ago the First Sergeant’s at Minot Air Force Base started the process of designing a new Morale Patch for the Minot Air Force Base. “We knew that everyone likes patches” according to MSGT John Silva, First Sergeant for the 5th Support Squadron “and at Minot Air Force Base we have the dual missions, and really nothing joint for the 5th BW and the 91st MW”.
So, all of the First Sergeants worked to design a patch that would recognize Team Minot. “The patch design was inspired by the unity of effort by all Team Minot members” according to Silva “to ensure the success of the nation’s number one priority.”
“The First Sergeants Council wanted to make sure that their efforts to design the new patch spanned across all squadrons and events hosted jointly to send the message that we all (Team Minot) stand together” Silva continued “while serving our nation in one of the most challenging locations in the Air Force.”
The design of the patch centers around the Team Minot logo which is used in all of the digital mediums as a symbol of Team Minot. Added to the bottom are the call signs of both wings, the Warbirds and the Roughriders, and added are the globe and the thunderbolts of Air Force Global Strike Command, which both wings serve under. The year that the Minot Air Force Base opened, 1956, is also embroidered into the patch.
The patch was submitted for approval in January, with authorization needed by both wings.
“Now that the patch is officially authorized, it can be worn on Fridays and special events” according to Silva.
As a way of raising money for the First Sergeant’s Council, the patches will be sold on base and online at reaperpatches.com. “Once you get to reaperpatches.com, type in Minot, and there are many patches that come up that are for sale” says Silva. “The money that we make from the sale of the patches will go to fund Operation Warm Heart: Airmen helping Airmen in need.” But the First Sergeants Council also funds other requests that may not necessarily fit under the umbrella of Operation Warm Heart. “In one case we helped an Airmen who had lost his luggage, including all of his uniforms. The First Sergeants Council is non-profit and takes many requests into consideration” says Silva.
A spin off from the original patch is a patch that will only be worn by First Sergeants. It has all of the elements of the original patch, with a diamond in the middle.
The original order of patches has been placed and “they say it will take 4-6 weeks for them to arrive” and at that point the First Sergeant’s Council will look for ways to market and sell the patches “whether it be at the commissary or other events on base, we want to make them available” says Silva “and the goal is to show unity”.
The cost of the new patches online is $6.99, but they will be sold on base for $5.00 “and the purchaser can save the cost of shipping.”
