{"product_id":"official-vr-61-islanders-patch","title":"Official VR-61 Islanders Patch","description":"\u003cp\u003eOfficial VR-61 Islanders Patch - Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 61 (VR-61) Islanders, United States Navy Reserve, C-40A Clipper Embroidered Patch, NAS Whidbey Island.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIslanders identity, worldwide reach, and Navy Reserve logistics pride stitched into one embroidered piece from the Pacific Northwest.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFleet Logistics Support Squadron 61 was commissioned on October 1, 1982, at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, and has carried the Islanders name through more than four decades of continuous service. The squadron operates as part of the Fleet Logistics Support Wing of the United States Navy Reserve, composed of Full Time Support and Selected Reserve sailors who keep three C-40A Clipper aircraft mission-ready around the clock. The C-40A, a military variant of the Boeing 737-700C, gives the Islanders the range and payload to move passengers and high-priority cargo to any corner of the globe on short notice, supporting all branches of the Armed Forces. VR-61 accumulated more than 126,000 mishap-free flight hours during its C-9B Skytrain II era and earned a distinguished award record that includes the Meritorious Unit Commendation, Navy Unit Commendation, two Congressman Bill Chappell awards, eight Safety S awards, four Battle E awards, and the James M. Holcombe Maintenance Award. Deployed detachments have ranged from the Mediterranean and Western Pacific to the Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa, where the squadron transported hundreds of passengers and hundreds of thousands of pounds of cargo in direct support of combat operations. That operational depth is what this embroidered patch represents.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerfect For: Navy Reserve veterans, VR-61 Islanders alumni, C-40A Clipper and C-9B Skytrain II enthusiasts, NAS Whidbey Island collectors, Fleet Logistics Support Wing supporters, active duty and reserve sailors, deployment keepsakes, shadow boxes, patch boards, reunion gifts, and anyone building a Navy aviation or logistics-command collection that honors the crews, maintainers, and support personnel who keep the mission moving day and night across every time zone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIslanders heritage, carried on the wing from Whidbey Island to every corner of the world.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Military, Law Enforcement and Custom Patches by USMCinsignia.com","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67685133811821,"sku":"421-331","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0742\/9831\/files\/VR-61IslandersPatch.jpg?v=1791482061","url":"https:\/\/marinepatches.com\/products\/official-vr-61-islanders-patch","provider":"MarinePatches.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}