Afterburner? That's Cute!

VMA-223 "Bulldogs" · USMC · 1987-2026

A Harrier community moto patch, worn by a Marine of VMA-223 "Bulldogs" — the Cherry Point attack squadron that flew the AV-8B Harrier II from October 1987 until the type's sundown in June 2026, when it retired the last Harriers in Marine Corps service. The gag is aimed squarely at fast-jet pilots: the Harrier's Rolls-Royce Pegasus has no afterburner at all, instead swiveling four vectoring nozzles to hover, land vertically, and operate from ships and improvised strips no conventional jet could use. The blue-and-yellow jet climbing out of its own downwash is pure Harrier bravado — thrust you can point wherever you like beats a tailpipe full of fire. The submitter, SSgt Sally, notes only that it is a moto patch with an unknown story.