Military Logos
They might not be “awesomely bad”, but here are two favorites from my collection of offbeat, weird, and wacky government t-shirts. The first comes courtesy of what is now the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, but used to be the National Imagery and Mapping Agency. At NIMA, they said, technology worked hard. It also, apparently, played hard, as well:
Not quite the usual warlike, patriotic eagle you usually see, is it? 
Back before “9/11 changed everything”, back before the “long war” on terror, our government was engaged in another long war - the War on Drugs. While that war has pretty well been forgotten, and few remember what any of the acronyms stood for - like HIDTA - some of the special programs live on through ephemera like coffee mugs, patches, and, yes, t-shirts, all imprinted with the logos and mottoes of long-defunct counter-narcotic operations.
One such program was “Operation BAT”, or just “OpBAT” - BAT standing for “Bahamas Area Trafficking”. A joint interdiction effort of the United States Coast Guard, United States Army, U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, and Royal Bahamanian Navy, it was, by all accounts, a remarkably effective interdiction effort. Their motto was, quite aptly, “you can run, but you can’t hide”; gotta love FLIR, huh?
Below the DEA badge, the Army UH-60, and the Coast Guard HH-60 is the usual target of Op Bat - a cigarette boat, or “go fast” in smugglers’ jargon. It was interdiction efforts against boats like these that led to the Coast Guard arming a number of their helicopters for the first time, ever…
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I have been looking for OpBAT patches for about 9 years. I have not been able to find anyone with any. If you have any, I am willing to pay well for them.
Thanks and be safe.
Fred Repp
US Dept. of Justice
There is a Opbat Patch for sale at the Us coast exchange Clearwater 727-535-1437 ex 1710 $6.99
I was with the first crew of 20 SOS folks who went to The Bahamas for Operation Bat back in 1980. I was a multi-skilled maintenance guy. We took a small package of maintainers to care for the two birds. It was a memorable time to say the least. During the next rotation Capt Witbeck and others lost their lives. We flew UH-1N’s so this t-shirt looks odd to me. From my memory Operation BAT stood for something else. Op Bahamas, Antilles and Turks.
CD Nelson
USAF Retired
Yeah, it was originally “Bahamas, Antilles, and Turks”, but by the mid-1990s the whole operation had been revamped quite a bit - then again just a couple years ago. At various points, “Operation Bat” has involved the Army, Air Force, Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, (UK) Royal Navy, and (Dutch) Royal Navy… at a minimum (not to mention Army and Air Force Reserves). I seem to recall the Canadian Navy was involved for a year or two, but could be wrong. Along the way, the focus has shifted and changed - as have the tactics. (I mean, could you have predicted armed USCG helos, back in 1980?)
I am looking to purchase a Op BAT patch. I have the one that the USCG made. There are 4 other designs.
Thanks!
Fred
fredrepp@comcast.net
OPBAT Operation Bahamas And Turks and Caicos. I did the mission 9 months between 2004 and 2005.
I am offering a $50 reward for the old Op BAT patch that is shield shaped with a Bat on it.
I will pay well for other old designs.
Thanks!
Fred
US DOJ
Hello, I participated in operation BAT in 1990 with the 24th inf Div. Then we had to pull out for Iraq. I am currently having a patch reproduced. It’s a round patch with a bat holding a lightning bolt in his hand. The moon behind him. It’s says DEA above him, and OpBat below him. It’s a little pricey for one. So I am having them make five for me. It’s almost the same price for one. I figure I would just put them up on eBay for sale. They are going to cost me about $22 a piece. So I would just sell them for what I paid for them + a little shipping. If someone is still interested in getting one, email and I’ll let you know when I receive them. Probably two weeks from today. Rich C wasawasaspinspin1@att.net