The Fayetteville Woodpeckers, Single-A affiliate of the Houston Astros in the Carolina League, will pay tribute to the military heritage of their hometown when they play as the Eighty Deuces for the third year in a row. The team has honored a different aspect of the 82nd Airborne Division stationed at nearby Fort Bragg each year since 2023. This year the Eighty Deuces will pay tribute to the Third Brigade, also known as the Panther Brigade, which was activated July 6, 1942.

The identity centers around a winged panther logo reminiscent of one used by the brigade. The team will wear maroon caps, which evoke the berets worn by the members of the combat team, with blue uniforms that match the brigade’s primary color.

A sleeve patch on the jersey features a panther with a baseball in its mouth, with the legend “All-American,” a tribute to the AA patch worn by the Panther Brigade.

The U.S. Army’s Fort Bragg comprises more than 250 square miles in central North Carolina and is one of the largest military installations in the world. The fifth largest city in the state of North Carolina, Fayetteville, sits adjacent to the fort and reflects a culture that is heavily influenced by the nearby military presence.