Officially Licensed US Navy VT-10 Wildcats Squadron Patches — The NFO's Gateway to the Fleet
Every Naval Flight Officer in the Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force traces their roots back through this squadron — and this patch proves you walked the walk.
Training Squadron Ten — the 'Wildcats' — was established in 1960 at NAS Pensacola, Florida, originally as the Basic Naval Aviation Officers (BNAO) School. The program was born out of the growing need for highly trained navigators and radar operators to fill the back seats of a new generation of multi-seat combat aircraft — the A-3 Skywarrior, A-5 Vigilante, A-6 Intruder, F-4 Phantom II, and P-2 Neptune all demanded a dedicated NFO pipeline. In 1965, Naval Aviation Observers were redesignated as Naval Flight Officers, and in 1968, the school was officially commissioned as VT-10. By 1970, the squadron had already trained over 6,000 student NFOs. The Wildcats have flown an impressive lineage of training aircraft — from the UC-45J Navigator and T-2 Buckeye to the T-39 Sabreliner, T-34C Turbo Mentor, and today's T-6A Texan II. Originally nicknamed the 'Cosmic Cats,' the squadron adopted the more aggressive 'Wildcats' identity in the early 1990s. Operating under Training Air Wing Six, VT-10 has earned five Meritorious Unit Commendations, twenty-one Chief of Naval Operations Safety Awards, the Towers Award for safety, the Grandpaw Pettibone Safety Award, and multiple Training Excellence Awards. The squadron also trains international students from allied nations, making it a truly joint and multinational gateway to tactical aviation. If you wore wings as an NFO, the Wildcats helped put them on your chest.
