23rd Special Tactics Squadron Jolly Green Patch

The 23rd Special Tactics Squadron carries the "Jolly Green" name forward from the rescue helicopters that defined Air Force combat rescue from Vietnam onward, and this patch carries their mascot — two green cartoon foot-shaped creatures who look like they've been to places the mission maps don't cover. Circular, black field with green border, the Green Feet stare out from center with yellow eyes and white teeth. No text, no scrolls. Just the mascot, which is all the identification the 23rd STS needs.

The 23rd Special Tactics Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Florida, is an Air Force Special Operations Command unit that operates across the full spectrum of personnel recovery and special tactics. The "Jolly Green" designation links them to the HH-3E Jolly Green Giant and HH-53 Super Jolly Green Giant rescue helicopters that first carried rescue crews into North Vietnam — aircraft and crews that set the standard for everything that came after.

The patch is circular with a black field and green merrow border. The two Green Feet mascots are embroidered in bright green with yellow eyes and white bared teeth. The design is simple, memorable, and immediately recognized by anyone who runs in special operations or CSAR circles. The absence of unit text makes it a patch that identifies without announcing.

For 23rd STS veterans, Hurlburt Field alumni, or collectors focused on AFSOC and the Jolly Green lineage, this patch is a specific piece of unit identity. AFSOC rescue crews take the Jolly Green heritage seriously — the names and the aircraft changed, but the mission didn't.

From the Jolly Green Giant over North Vietnam to Hurlburt Field today, the 23rd STS holds the line. This patch marks the inheritance.