(U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo.) — A cadet squadron at the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) has been renamed in honor of the Tuskegee Airmen, a legendary group of African American airmen who fought in World War II.

The squadron has been renamed “Red Tails,” in honor of the nickname given to the Tuskegee Airmen due to the distinctive deep red markings on the vertical stabilizers of their aircraft. According to USAFA, the P-47 Thunderbolt and P-51 Mustang crews earned their fame while protecting American bombers. By the end of the war, Tuskegee Airmen crews had completed more than 1,500 combat missions, destroyed or damaged 400 enemy aircraft and numerous enemy installations.

Cadet Squadron 20 will mark the name change at a renaming ceremony on Sept. 21 at 10 a.m. in Polaris Hall. The squadron, which has called itself “Trolls” since 1972, also changed their motto to fit the new name: “Rise Above.”

“Rising above has a double meaning for us,” said Cadet 1st Class Julian Jackson, a Management major. “The Tuskegee Airmen rose above segregation, discrimination and all the roadblocks they faced. But they also rose above the clouds as they fought the Axis powers. Today, we are trying our best to emulate what the Tuskegee Airmen did so well, fighting through adversity and being excellent at what we do.”

USAFA said the idea for the name change originated during a lunchtime conversation between then- third-degree cadets Jackson and Jillian Howe and other squadron members during Black History Month in February 2023.

Both cadets were astonished to learn many of their friends didn’t know about the Tuskegee Airmen’s accomplishments and impact on civil rights. USAFA said they went directly to squadron leadership with the idea and sought advice from Cadet Squadron 19, which changed its name back to Starship in 2023.

After Squadron 20 learned Cadet Wing leadership had approved the name change, the cadets spent much of their summer rebranding their dormitory to fit the new name. The squadron received items from Tuskegee Airmen and other organizations, and they expect more to arrive soon. They transferred the squadron meeting area into the “Ready Room,” complete with memorabilia, a “Wall of History,” a “Wall of Squadrons,” and a table that features the names of every Tuskegee Airman.

Squadron 20 plans to use the room for squadron staff meetings and formal events.

“This name change is about people knowing who the Red Tails were and what they did,” Jackson said. “What we wanted out of this was for people to understand the story of the Tuskegee Airmen.”