Cloth patch – 17th EAS, C-17A Globemaster, USAF

Original woven cloth patch of the 17th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, one of 4 active duty C-17A Globemaster III squadrons based at Charleston AFB, SC.
The 17th Airlift Squadron is commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel, who serves as head of the squadron and the pilots. The Chief Loadmaster is in charge of the loadmasters, and the First Sergeant takes charge of the few support military personnel and civilians working in the squadron.

The 17th was responsible for being the first unit to set up forward deployed C-17 staging operations, in the start of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, creating the 817th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron (EAS) .