RNLAF Patch s Royal Netherlands Air Force 322 Squadron F 16 oaa

RNLAF Patch 322 Squadron Royal Netherlands Air Force Dutch F 16 Flying Suit Patch 1980 Fighting Falcon Leeuwarden Air Base Embroidered on wool merrowed edge 98mm three and seven eighth inches diameter. 

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322 Squadron is the oldest operational squadron of the Royal Netherlands Air Force activated at RAF Woodvale on 12 June 1943 as 322 Dutch Squadron Royal Air Force with Dutch personnel under RAF control equipped with Spitfire fighters. The Squadron with its Spitfires was transferred to the Royal Netherlands Army on 3 January 1945 relocating to Woensdrecht Air Base and then to RAF Lasham where it deactivated in October 1945. The Squadron was reactivated on 27 September 1946 equipped with Spitfire fighters and renamed 322 Jachtvliegtuig Afdeling 322 Fighter Division retaining 322 Dutch Squadrons emblem motto traditions and mascot Polly Grey the parrot. 322 Fighter Division was renamed 322 Squadron on 17 February 1947. 

The Squadron moved to Twente AB and then relocated to the Dutch East Indies on 9 September 1947 and on 6 November 1947 was renamed 322 Spitfire Squadron returning to Twente AB in October 1949 and deactivating on 30 November 1949. 322 Spitfire Squadron reformed on 1 February 1951 at Twente AB for air defence and was assigned as Maandvliegsqadron to provide pilots with continued experience to retain flying status relocating to Soesterberg AB on 31 August 1951. 322 Squadron began converting to Meteor fighters in July 1952 and was renamed 322 Squadron Interceptor Day Fighter with the last Spitfire relinquished in 1953. The Squadron reequipped with Hunter fighters in January 1958 and deactivated in July 1958. The Squadron reactivated at Biak AB Netherlands New Guinea on 21 November 1960 equipped with Hunter fighters to provide air defence before disbanding there in 1962. 

The Squadron was reactivated at Leeuwarden AB on 1 April 1964 as 322 Squadron AWX All Weather Interceptor equipped with F 104 Starfighters for Air Defence Quick Reaction Alert QRA missions. 322 Squadron received F 16 Fighting Falcons in 1980 and was the the first Dutch F 16 Squadron to become operational on 1 May 1981 tasked with fighter bomber ground attack missions. In 1981 QRA air defence was added to the Squadrons tasking and the Squadron was the first Dutch participant at Exercise Red Flag in 1984.  

The squadron has taken part in a number of NATO and UN missions deploying rotationally to Villafranca AB Italy for Op Deny Flight missions over the former Yugoslavia 1993 1995 with two of its F 16 delivering the only bombs dropped on advancing Bosnain Serb troops during the fall of Srebrenica in 1995 and being the first attack by a female combat pilot in NATO. Further Operations followed with Decisive Endeavour 1995 1996 Deliberate Guard 1996 1998 Determined Falcon 1998 Deliberate Forge 1998 2001 and Allied Force 1999 operations over Afghanistan Enduring Freedom Kyrgyzstan 2003 Air Policing Baltic States Siauliai AB Lithuania 2005 and International Security and Assistance Force Air Task Force ATF Kabul AB Afghanistan 2005 Kandahar AB 2006 2007 2009 2010 2012 Mazar e Sharif AB 2013 2014 and Odyssey Dawn Unified Protector Libya 2011.  

This patch dates from 1980.