SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- U.S. Air Forces Central unveiled new emblems symbolizing the power and unity of coalition and combined forces in a ceremony at the Combined Air Operation Center headquarters in Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.
Joint and coalition forces gathered to watch as Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, Ninth Air Force (AFCENT) commander and Combined Forces Air Component Commander (CFACC) for U.S. Central Command, presented the command’s new patch honoring the coalition and combined nature of Air Force mission.
“Today we celebrate the massive amount of hard work that went in to restructuring our command,” said Grynkewich. “We are no longer multiple, separate teams. We are one team, led from a single, combined headquarters, carrying out the mission as one, operating across the region.”
The new emblems represent the importance of partnerships, cohesion, and the innovation that the combined component brings to the fight.
“Every member of this team brings something unique and valuable to our mission,” Grynkewich said. “This patch is an overdue acknowledgement that our embedded Coalition personnel are a part of this team and a tangible reminder of what we can achieve through unity and innovation.”
Many worked behind the scenes to develop the new patch. The General personally thanked the command’s historian, Michael Gartland, as well as members of the Institute of Heraldry, Costella Alford and Sherry O’Connor, for their work on implementing the vision for the emblems.
Each color represented has significance. Ultramarine blue and yellow represent the United States Air Force, while colors yellow and green represent nature and positivity in many cultures throughout the region.
“We’re proud to have made such great strides in shifting our culture to the point where we can seamlessly operate as one team, operating from a single, combined headquarters, and with a shared commitment to peace and security” Grynkewich said.
For more information on Combined Force Air Component operations, go to www.afcent.af.mil.