Honoring the heritage of the Fighting Sixth week 6

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This year marks the 100th anniversary of the unit presently designated the 6th Air Mobility Wing. The Wing’s emblem has changed little since its origin in the Panama Canal Zone. The emblem featured four elements – the group’s first aircraft, a full-mast sailing ship passing through the Panama Canal, and the bust of a pirate. The sailing ship, water and shoreline represented the wing’s past operations in the Caribbean theater. The falling star represented its WWII B-29 Superfortress bombardment heritage in Tinian. The Curtiss Model R-4 aircraft had one wing painted black, harkening back to its time flying reconnaissance missions in RC-135s in Alaska. Its motto remains unchanged since 1924: Parati Defendere Ready to Defend. Pictured left is the original 1924 emblem of the 6th Bombardment Group alongside today’s emblem.