MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Among all of the squadrons comprised of the 927th Air Refueling Wing, organizations under the umbrella of the 927th Operations Support Squadron have the most widely varying mission sets.
Now adorning each of their uniforms is an eight-armed sea monster known as the “Kraken” as well as the squadron’s motto, “Semper Primo Die” Latin for “Always the first day." The motto indicates the desire for Airmen within the organization to begin each day with the same motivation as they began their first.
Air Force Maj. Don Wiant, 927th OSS assistant director of operations and the artist behind the emblem explained the guiding principle behind elements of the new design.
“As members of the OSS, we don’t always get the opportunity to interact with everyone from the squadron,” said Wiant. “Although our specialties are diverse, our Airmen’s impact is far-reaching and they all uniquely contribute vitally to flying operations.”
Following the switch from the Airman Battle Uniform to the Occupational Camouflage Pattern uniform, many units throughout the Air Force have begun the process of developing and adapting their unit emblems to the new color scheme.
Doing so requires approval from a variety of sources including the Air Force Reserve Command historian, the Air Force Historical Research Agency and the U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry.
“One of the most visible representations of an Air Force organization is the emblem,” said Andrew Pray, 927th ARW historian. “The legacy of a particular squadron or wing is associated closely with the design of the patch worn on their sleeve and it’s important that the design be representative of the organization as well as uphold the high standards of quality necessary for inclusion in the historical record.”
Every member of the 927th OSS has a role to play in the future honors and lineage of their squadron and from Dec. 21, 2021, onward, the Kraken on each sleeve serves as a reminder of their vital contributions to flying operations as well as the mission of delivering combat-ready Citizen Airmen to fuel the fight.