If only the Air Force Academy would be wearing their new 2020 edition of the Air Power Legacy Series uniform more once this season -- because they are fierce.
Air Force will honor the Tuskegee Airmen on Oct. 3 in the Falcons' home game against Navy. It is one of only two games they will play this season (the other comes against Army on Nov. 7) due to the coronavirus pandemic. This year marks the fifth season of the Air Power Legacy Series, which started in 2016.
Every detail accounted for to honor the extraordinary Tuskegee Airmen pic.twitter.com/uxstjFlidC
— Air Force Football (@AF_Football) September 21, 2020
The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of Black pilots from the U.S. Army Air Corps commissioned by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1940. The military aviators flew in World War II during a time in which most of the U.S. military -- and the country -- was still racially segregated.
The Air Force Academy Airfield is named for the late Gen. Benjamin O. Davis Jr., the commander of the Tuskegee Airmen and the first Black general officer in the Air Force.
The uniform is gray with black lettering, with red and white highlights on the shoulders and arms. The half red/half chrome gray helmet features the P-51 aircraft flown by the Tuskegee Airmen with signature red tails and nose -- which is why the squad was dubbed as the "Red Tails."
"The helmet features the four squadron patches for the 99th, 100th, 301st and 302nd," an Air Force press release reads. "The custom nameplate on the jersey says Red Tails, inspired by hand-lettered names painted on the side of the P-51 aircraft."
And to top it all off, the pants feature an authentic stenciled information graphic on the side.
The hype video showing off the jerseys is pretty inspiring, as well.
"The privileges of being an American belong to those brave enough to fight for them." - Benjamin O. Davis Jr. pic.twitter.com/PX3WbyVNdL
— Air Force Football (@AF_Football) September 21, 2020
