Fightin’ Fifty-Fifth unveils War Hawks logo

  • Published
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  The War Hawks logo was officially unveiled by the 55th Wing commander during a staff meeting here Jan. 25.

The War Hawks name was chosen by Col. Michael Manion, 55th Wing commander, in the months following his change of command on June 8, 2017.

“Growing up playing competitive team sports, I have always enjoyed the camaraderie associated with being a part of a winning team,” he said. “So when I arrived I wanted to know what our wing’s nickname was and as it turned out, we didn’t have one.”

So he challenged his staff to look at the wing’s history along with its current mission set and come up with a few ideas.

Finally, after hearing a story about how an adversary described the 55th Wing’s RC-135S Cobra Ball mission in the Pacific as, “imperialist war hawks running amuck,” he knew he had the wing’s nickname.

“When I heard they referred to us as war hawks, that just stuck,” he said. “Our wing has been continuously deployed for more than 27 years now and often times we’re supporting four or five combatant commands around the world at the same time. We are without a doubt, War Hawks.”

From that point on the name War Hawks has become a part of the wing’s lexicon.

However, there was no logo to match it – until recently. The commander unveiled the War Hawks logo to the wing’s leadership team to resounding applause.

“I think it’s outstanding,” he said. “Now when our team hears the name War Hawks, they have a visual to go with it.”

The War Hawks logo will be used in a variety of ways, including the upcoming Wing Annual Awards Banquet.