VMFA-648 Hawks/Silver Eagles (VMFA-533/VMFA-115) Red Flag Squadron Patch - Marine Fighter Attack composite exercise squadron combining the lineage of VMFA-533 Hawks and VMFA-115 Silver Eagles, rendered as an embroidered patch commemorating Red Flag participation.
Two of Marine aviation's most decorated fighter attack squadrons, one patch, one shared stage over the Nevada desert where real combat skills are built.
VMFA-533, the Hawks, traces its roots to 1 October 1943 when it was commissioned at MCAS Cherry Point as one of only three Marine night fighter squadrons, flying the F6F-5N Hellcat and claiming more aerial victories than any other night fighter squadron in the Pacific. The Hawks carried that aggressive identity through Vietnam, Desert Storm, and multiple Operation Iraqi Freedom deployments, earning Presidential Unit Citations along the way, before transitioning to the F-35B at MCAS Beaufort under MAG-31. VMFA-115, the Silver Eagles, was organized on 1 July 1943 at MCAS Santa Barbara as an F4U Corsair squadron and went on to fly more than 34,000 combat sorties during the Vietnam War alone, earning the Hanson Trophy as the Marine Corps top fighter attack squadron. The Silver Eagles later flew F/A-18 Hornets from MCAS Beaufort under the same MAG-31 umbrella before deactivating in November 2023 with plans to return as an F-35C unit. VMFA-648 brings both callsigns together under a Red Flag composite designation, the large-scale air combat exercise conducted over the Nevada Test and Training Range at Nellis AFB where blue-force crews face realistic, integrated threats to sharpen the skills that matter most in actual combat. A patch marking that exercise participation carries the weight of both squadron histories and the intensity of the training range.
Perfect for VMFA-533 Hawks veterans, VMFA-115 Silver Eagles alumni, Red Flag participants, Marine aviation collectors, MAG-31 and 2nd MAW historians, F/A-18 and F-35 aircrew, shadow box builders, squadron reunion displays, challenge coin and patch panel collectors, and anyone who wants a single embroidered piece that honors two storied MCAS Beaufort fighter attack squadrons and the demanding joint exercise environment where their combined legacy was tested.
Hawks and Silver Eagles heritage, stitched together where Marine fighter aviation earns its edge.
