{"product_id":"official-vr-55-minutemen-pacific-coast-hercs-shoulder-patch","title":"Official VR-55 Minutemen Pacific Coast Hercs Shoulder Patch","description":"\u003cp\u003eVR-55 Minutemen Pacific Coast Hercs Shoulder Patch\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFleet Logistics Support Squadron 55 (VR-55) — \"Minutemen\" — Pacific Coast Hercs\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFleet Logistics Support Squadron 55, the Minutemen, was established on 1 April 1976 at NAS Alameda, California, during the United States Bicentennial celebration — earning the nickname \"Bicentennial Minutemen\" in honor of the nation's 200th birthday. Captain Richard Hendel, USN Ready Reserve, took command of three C-9B Skytrain II aircraft and 220 personnel, making VR-55 the Navy's first reserve jet logistics squadron. In its first partial year of operations, the Minutemen recorded 3,030.7 flight hours, transported 55,507 passengers, and moved 2.8 million pounds of cargo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Minutemen pioneered the Navy's \"pathfinder\" program using their advanced navigational capabilities, playing a vital role in Operation Key Joint by escorting A-6 Intruders from Barbers Point, Hawaii, to NAS Cubi Point in the Philippines. In September 1993, VR-55 transitioned from the C-9B to the C-130T Hercules and relocated to Moffett Federal Air Field. In March 1992, the squadron had flown a C-9 into Constanta, Romania — only the third U.S. military aircraft ever to do so. In 2013, VR-55 received two KC-130T-30 aircraft with enhanced cargo capacity, and by the end of fiscal year 2018, the squadron had accumulated 177,177 accident-free flight hours across 41 years of operations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eToday, VR-55 operates from Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California, with approximately 275 personnel including 35 pilots, providing 24-hour global logistics support across the Pacific, Mediterranean, Middle East, Europe, Africa, and the Americas under the Fleet Logistics Support Wing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePerfect For: VR-55 Minutemen active and reserve personnel, C-130T Hercules aircrew, Fleet Logistics Support Wing members, NAS Point Mugu personnel, Navy Reserve aviators, and military logistics aviation enthusiasts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Minutemen of VR-55 — the Navy's Pacific Coast Hercs, delivering global logistics around the clock since the Bicentennial.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Military, Law Enforcement and Custom Patches by USMCinsignia.com","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":68063552241813,"sku":"sog1793017314135","price":7.68,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/9171\/4197\/files\/official-vr-55-minutemen-pacific-coast-hercs-shoulder-patch_1.jpg?v=1793017321","url":"https:\/\/wearcostore.shop\/products\/official-vr-55-minutemen-pacific-coast-hercs-shoulder-patch","provider":"My Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}