Viking Composite Squadron Heraldry (NCR-MN-030)
Click on the image to learn about our squadron.
VIKING COMPOSITE SQUADRON
MINNESOTA WING, CIVIL AIR PATROL
U.S. AIR FORCE AUXILIARY
Motto:
Afram Vikingar - Forward [or Onward] Vikings
The words are Old Norse and pronounced as, "Ahf-rahm vick-ing-ahr."
Emblem Significance:
Viking Shield
There are 12 bronze "billets" in the wooden shield, which correspond to the positions of every hour on a clock face, denoting that the unit is always available and reminding members that timeliness is of great consequence in search-and-rescue missions.
Viking Ship
The Viking ship is also a stylized aircraft illustrating the unit's missions, particularly relating to emergency services and aerospace education.
- The Viking ship's sail is segregated into three sections indicative of our three core programs: aerospace education, cadet programs, and emergency services.
North Star
The Viking ship is sailing toward the North Star, symbolic of Minnesota’s state motto, "L’etoile du nord" - The Star of the North.
Color Symbolism
Each color in the emblem carries meaning:
- The red color of the sail symbolizes courage, patriotism, and passion (for our mission), all of which we encourage in our members.
- The yellow used in the shield encircles everything, indicating excellence (in all we do), honor, and loyalty.
- The dark blue of the sky background and scrolls indicates night, i.e., the time we are most often called to perform a search-and-rescue mission.
- The light blue is used to depict the water of the "Land of 10,000 Lakes".
- The white star and vertical lines in the sail symbolize purity (our cadets), truth, and wisdom toward which we strive.
- The gray/silver of the ship hull/airplane, borders, and letters connote discretion, humility, and retrospection, again attributes we are seeking to achieve.
Designed by Maj Jared Scribner, Viking Composite Squadron
Submitted by Lt Col Brent Halweg, Commander, Viking Composite Squadron
Authorized June 15, 2010, by Col Thomas Theis, Commander, Minnesota Wing
Emblem updated January 31, 2026 to comply with the Civil Air Patrol Heraldry Program.
