CH-47 Chinook Big Iron Heavy-Lift Aviation Takeout & Delivery Morale Patch

This “Big Iron” morale patch reflects the culture and humor of U.S. Army aviation heavy-lift crews during the Global War on Terror. Featuring a powerful two-headed dragon and the mottos “Open 24/7” and “Takeout & Delivery,” the design nods to the nonstop mission tempo of CH-47 Chinook crews tasked with troop insertion, resupply, and extraction operations.

2006 was one of the most intense, nonstop aviation years of the Iraq War, especially for heavy-lift and SOF aviation units.

Popular among special operations aviation personnel during Operation Iraqi Freedom, patches like this were worn unofficially as morale items rather than formal unit insignia. A great piece of modern military aviation culture for collectors and veterans alike.

• The Nickname: "Big Iron" is a common call sign or nickname for CH-47 Chinook crews and sections within the 160th SOAR ("Night Stalkers") and other Army Aviation heavy-lift units.
• The Dragons: The "two dragons" likely refer to the MH-53 Pave Low (often called "Sea Dragons" or "Super Dragons" in Navy/Marine variants) or a stylized representation of the twin-engine, dual-rotor power of the Chinook.
• The Motto: "Open 24/7" and "Takeout and Delivery" were popular unofficial mottos for aviation units during OIF, emphasizing their role in inserting troops ("takeout") and delivering supplies or extracting personnel ("delivery") at any hour.
• The Patch: These morale patches typically depicted:
  • An overhead or side profile of a heavy-lift helicopter (like the CH-47 or MH-53).
  • Two dragons flanking the aircraft.
  • The text "Open 24/7" at the top and "Takeout and Delivery" at the bottom.