7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron

Significance* provided by the unit: Air Force golden-yellow, the sun and excellence required of Air Force personnel. Ultramarine blue, the sky, primary theater of Air Force operations. Red, valor and courage of the members of the squadron demonstrated in the skies of Southeast Asia. Black symbolizes the night-time operations of the 7 ACCS aircraft and crews, maintaining their constant 24 hour vigil during the war. White represents the long and tedious daytime operations conducted by squadron members. Green, the primary color of the camouflaged aircraft and capsules of the 7 ACCS. White bird symbolizes the uniquely modified C-130E aircraft equipped to function as the airborne platform which carries the command and control capsule. Green capsule represents the USC-15 Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Capsule. Lightning bolts symbolize the extensive communications aboard the ABCCC capsule and the unique capability of the airborne platform to function as an Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center.

The unit that wore this patch was activated 13 Feb 1968. Wear of this version continued until after the unit had been at Keesler for a couple years and the officially approved version (yellow disc) was procured (1977).

*Never officially approved (though much of this significance was incorporated into the subsequent emblem that was approved). In a letter to USAFMPC, dated 21 June 1976, the squadron commander related that the unit had only just discovered that the emblem it had been using since the late 1960s was never submitted for official approval. In an impassioned plea, he gave many good reasons why this wartime emblem should be approved. It wasn't, and the yellow-disc version followed soon thereafter.

NOTE: I don't know if the last word was "SQUAD" intentionally or if "SQUADRON" was never finished (the positioning suggests the latter), but there is no evidence of removed embroidery. All other versions I've seen have "SQUADRON."