The Air Force Falcons baseball team followed the lead of the football program when it unveiled Special Operations Command-inspired alternate uniforms earlier this month.
Headquartered at Hurlburt Field in the Florida Panhandle, the AFSOC deploys aircraft and provides combat support, search and rescue, information warfare, precision aerospace firepower and other special operations to unified commands around the world.
It is among the Air Force’s most decorated communities, with one Medal of Honor recipient and hundreds of Air Force Crosses, Silver Stars, Bronze Star Medals and Purple Hearts being awarded throughout its 42-year history.
A member of the AFSOC has also been involved in almost every major combat operation and global humanitarian mission since Sept. 11, 2001, while 21 members have been killed in action, including three Air Force Academy graduates.
As for the anthracite baseball uniforms, they closely resemble the football program’s latest Air Power Legacy Series design, which debuted in a 34-7 loss to Navy last October and were worn again in a 36-28 win over Fresno State in November.
That includes the gray “Air Force” wordmark across the chest and gray numbers, both of which are outlined in scarlet as a nod to the berets worn by combat controllers, as well as the U.S. Flag on the right sleeve and one of three different patches on the left sleeve.
Each insignia represents a different career path in the Air Force, including a special tactics officer, combat controller or special reconnaissance airman. All three notably include the globe and a lightning bolt, among other images.
The winged dagger and star from the AFSOC’s emblem that was prominently featured on the Falcons’ football helmet was relegated to the belt loop on the back of the anthracite pants, which include scarlet stripes down the side.
The uniforms are complete with the Air Force’s secondary lightning bolt logo on the cap, the player’s nameplate on their right chest opposite of the Mountain West logo and an “AFSOC” wordmark on the back of the jersey.
The Falcons debuted the uniforms in a 16-5 loss to Army on March 2, and it’s likely they’ll be worn at least one more time in conference play, once again following the lead of the football program.
Photos courtesy of @AF_Baseball and @AF_Football on X/Twitter.
