Operation Epic Fury & Operation Roaring Lion Joint Operations Morale Patch

U.S. Central Command launched Operation Epic Fury at 1:15 a.m. Eastern on February 28, 2026, and Israel ran its side of the same strikes as Operation Roaring Lion. This patch puts both names on one ring, Epic Fury across the top and Roaring Lion across the bottom. The strikes on targets in Iran drew on U.S. and partner forces firing precision munitions from the air, the land and the sea. CENTCOM described the operation as involving the largest regional concentration of American military firepower in a generation. The patch commemorates the service members who carried it out, on the flight decks, in the cockpits and on the ground.

The buildup before the strikes brought two U.S. aircraft carrier strike groups, hundreds of aircraft and stocks of Tomahawk cruise missiles into the region. Epic Fury also saw Task Force Scorpion Strike use low-cost one-way attack drones in combat for the first time. CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper credited the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Guardians and Coast Guardsmen who took part. The February operations followed the June 2025 strikes, when Israel's Operation Rising Lion and the U.S. Operation Midnight Hammer hit Iranian nuclear sites. Some Israeli sources also called the 2026 operation Lion's Roar.

The patch is 4 inches round with a gold merrowed edge and an iron-on backing. A black outer ring carries "OPERATION EPIC FURY" and "OPERATION ROARING LION" in gold letters, split by a gold star on each side. Inside, a bald eagle on the left and a roaring lion on the right flank an aircraft carrier coming bow-on through teal water, with the U.S. flag and the Star of David behind it and two pairs of fighter jets overhead. A gold-edged banner across the middle reads "SI VIS PACEM, PARA BELLUM," and below it the green, white and red flag of Iran marks the theater. The eagle stands for the American side and the lion for the Israeli operation's name.

"Si vis pacem, para bellum" means "If you want peace, prepare for war," a line adapted from the Roman military writer Vegetius. Carrier sailors, aircrews, maintainers and planners have lived by some version of it for as long as there have been navies. The carrier strike groups were already in place before the first launch, and that readiness is what the motto is about. Operations like this are planned by thousands of people whose names never appear in a press release. This patch is for them.

Mount it in a shadow box with deployment photos and a ship or squadron patch, or sew it on a vest for the homecoming or the next reunion. It also makes a fitting gift for a sailor, airman or Marine who deployed to the region in 2026. It is a record of a date the people who were there will not forget.