There are few rivalries across all of sports that can match the pageantry and tradition of the Army vs. Navy Game. A big part of that tradition is the uniforms with both the Black Knights and Midshipmen breaking out a brand new alternate set every year.
Ahead of their annual showdown on Saturday, Dec. 14, both Army and Navy have unveiled their battle attire. As usual, they certainly did not disappoint.
Navy’s uniforms pay homage to the Strike Fighter Squadron 103, nicknamed the “Jolly Rogers” and with roots dating back to World War II. The squadron is considered one of the most lethal in the Navy. The group uses the call sign “Victory” and feature the tagline “fear the bones” as a rallying cry.
The uniform, naturally, features the iconic skull and crossbones on the helmet and the colored patches of the jersey are meant to mimic the planes. Both the nameplate and numbers are based on lettering from the aircrafts and “Fear the Bones” is emblazoned on the bottom of the helmets. The pants are also adorned with the six squadrons that have earned the name Jolly Rogers from 1943 to today — VF-17, VF-5B, VF-61, VF-84, VF-103 and VFA-103.
The Black Knights are honoring the legendary 101st Airborne Division and, more specifically, its role in the Battle of the Bulge during World War II.
This year’s Army vs. Navy Game takes place two days before the 80th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Bulge. The 101st Airborne Division was tasked specifically with holding the Belgian town of Bastogne, which was a linchpin in the American defenses as a key logistical hub.
Army’s uniform features a “Bastogne” logo under the right shoulder pad. The 101st Airborne Division, based out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and its actions during World War II served as the centerpiece of Stephen E. Ambrose’s non-fiction novel “Band of Brothers,” which was later adapted into a popular HBO miniseries.
The helmets will display various markings used by 101st soldiers to identify their unit affiliations throughout combat in the European Theater of Operations. This includes the “Spade” card suit used by the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, the regiment featured in “Band of Brothers.”
The helmet logos will be randomly dispersed among Army’s players. The overall motif of the uniform — black with white freckling — “reflects the canopy of fog and snow giving way to the shadows beneath the snow-covered pine forests in the Ardennes,” according to Army’s uniform announcement.
The Black Knights sit at 10-1 and will meet Tulane on Saturday in the AAC Championship Game as the Black Knights will compete for the conference title in their first year as a member of the league. Navy will enter the game with an 8-3 mark as the Midshipmen are bowl eligible for the first time since 2019. This is the first time that these two teams will meet as conference mates, though the game will not count against their AAC record.
