Description
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is one of the largest military installations in the country, home to I Corps, the 2nd Infantry Division, the 7th Infantry Division, the 62nd Airlift Wing, and some of the most combat-experienced units in the US military—and this patch puts all of that into a single oval design. A combat soldier stands in the foreground against Mount Rainier, with a C-17 Globemaster crossing above. "JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD / SERVICE MEMBERS DEFENDING AMERICA" frames the scene in a red and maroon border. The patch is straightforward and well-earned.
JBLM was the deployment platform for thousands of soldiers and airmen who went to Iraq and Afghanistan. The Stryker brigades that trained at Lewis, the airlifters that launched from McChord, the logistics and support elements that made both possible—this installation drove a significant portion of the Army's GWOT operational cycle. The pairing of the infantryman and the C-17 in the design reflects exactly that relationship.
If you served at Fort Lewis, at McChord Air Force Base, or at Joint Base Lewis-McChord after the 2010 merger, this patch marks a posting that carried serious weight during the peak years of the GWOT. Mount Rainier in the background is the landmark every servicemember who served there carries with them, and the C-17 marks the airbridge that connected the base to every major deployment.
The oval format with the landscape design works well in a shadow box or display case. The soldier figure and C-17 are clearly defined, and Mount Rainier's snow-capped profile is immediately recognizable. The red and maroon border frames the scene cleanly.
Popular Patch carries patches from JBLM and from installations and units across the entire US Army and Air Force. If you served in the Pacific Northwest or deployed through McChord and Lewis, browse the catalog for what fits your service history.