The Navy football program will wear alternate uniforms that pay homage to the Jolly Rogers during its 125th annual rivalry game with Army, which kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on CBS on Dec. 14.
Established in 1943, the Jolly Rogers are considered the most lethal and history-rich squadron in naval aviation. They have flown nine different types aircraft dating back to World War II, with the pilots of Vought F4U Corsairs racking up over 150 kills by the end of the war.
Other aircraft flown by the Jolly Rogers include the Grumman F6F Hellcat, F9F Cougar, FJ-3 Fury, McDonnell F3H Demon, Vought F-8 Crusader, McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, F-14 A/B Tomcat and the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, which all saw action in WWII, the Vietnam War, Desert Storm and/or Operation Iraqi Freedom, among other engagements.
The all-white uniforms match the design of the Super Hornets flown by Strike Fighter Squadron 103, who are stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, with navy blue shoulder yoke containing the Jolly Rogers insignia and a yellow stripe on the collar that mimics its tail fin.
The Navy wordmark and number font are pulled directly from the side of the aircraft, while the sleeves feature angled (or vagabond) stripes with nine total chevrons as a nod to the nine aircraft in the squadron’s history.
The jerseys are complete with a patch that displays the current aircraft and vagabond stripes above the squadron’s designation (VFA-103), as well as the their tagline “Fear the Bones” sewn into the back collar.
The pants feature a thick navy blue side panels, which contain the vagabond stripes and micro text that honors the three additional squadrons that have used the name and insignia of the Jolly Rogers, including VF-17, VF-61 and VF-84.
The Eagle, Globe and Anchor – the official emblem and insignia of the Marine Corps – can also be seen on the left hip of the pants, matching the Midshipmen’s standard home and road uniforms, as well as their previous alternate uniforms.
Lastly, the airbrushed helmets are inspired by those worn by the VF-84 and VFA-103 squadrons, with chevrons containing the Jolly Rogers insignia on the sides, the vagabond stripe down the center and more chevrons with the mechanism that moves their visors up and down painted on the front.
This marks the second time in school history the Midshipmen have honored the Jolly Rogers, as they wore the flag on the front of their helmets in 34-14 win over the Black Knights – known then as the Cadets – 1962.
Photos courtesy of @NavyFB on X/Twitter.
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