Squadron Patch

Statement of Significance

The squadron insignia for HT-28 is a tri-colored circular field featuring a dragon and a torch. The deep blue section represents the U.S. Navy and it's operations over the world's oceans. The olive green section represents the U.S. Marine Corps and it's projection of power ashore. The red section symbolizes these services' heritage of valor and sacrifice in peace and war.

The black Chinese "Loong" dragon symbolizes both wisdom and ferocity in battle. It is coiled around a lighted torch, which signifies knowledge passed from one generation of aviators to the next. The dragon's helical coils, which echo da Vinci's famous design, are another nod to the legacy of rotary wing flight. The name "Hellions" is an allusion to the word "helicopter". It's connotation (an unruly child) is meant as an amusing reference to the pilots-in-training as they are refined into military aviators.