VMFAT-101 Sharpshooters Shoulder Patch - Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 101 (VMFAT-101) Sharpshooters F/A-18 Hornet Fleet Replacement Squadron Embroidered Shoulder Patch.Fighter Attack starts here — and this patch carries the precision, discipline, and Hornet heritage of the Marine Corps squadron that built combat aviators for over five decades. The motto hung on the side of Hangar 3 at MCAS Miramar said it plainly, and every aviator who graduated under the Sharpshooters name knew exactly what it meant.VMFAT-101 was commissioned on January 3, 1969, at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California, under the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, initially training naval aviators in the F-4 Phantom II. Over 18 years on the Phantom, the Sharpshooters accumulated more than 125,000 mishap-free flight hours before transitioning in 1987 to become the Marine Corps dedicated F/A-18 Hornet Fleet Replacement Squadron. Following a Base Realignment and Closure Act directive, the squadron relocated from MCAS El Toro to MCAS Miramar in October 1998, where it joined Marine Aircraft Group 11 and remained for the rest of its service life. The squadron trained replacement aircrew through a demanding 44-week syllabus covering Transition, Air-to-Ground, Air-to-Air, and Carrier Qualification phases. VMFAT-101 also trained weapon systems officers for the twin-seat F/A-18D Night Attack Hornet, accepted into the squadron's inventory on January 10, 1990, making it the pipeline for both pilots and back-seaters across Marine and Navy Hornet communities. On September 29, 2023, the squadron marked its deactivation by launching 18 F/A-18 Hornets in a mass formation known as flying the barn, closing 54 years of service as the last F/A-18 Hornet Fleet Replacement Squadron in the entire Department of the Navy. This embroidered shoulder patch honors that legacy and the thousands of combat aviators who earned their Hornet qualification under the Sharpshooters name at Miramar.Perfect for VMFAT-101 alumni, F/A-18 Hornet pilots and weapon systems officers, Marine Corps aviation veterans, MAG-11 and 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing collectors, MCAS Miramar supporters, aviation historians, shadow box builders, squadron reunion displays, challenge coin and patch boards, and anyone preserving the story of Marine Corps fighter attack training from the Phantom era through the final Hornet generation.Sharpshooters heritage, stitched for the aviators who earned it and the collectors who honor it.
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