Our History

Heraldry

· The HORSE stands for ground support and mobility

· The LIGHTENING BOLT is for our swiftness in action

· The EMBLEM is of the Civil Air Patrol

· The BLUE field is the skies in which we fly

· The BLACK of night is our usual call to aid

· The WHITE is the Spirit which encompasses all

· ABOVE ALL, HONOR is the Way we choose to live

History
"The 286th Composite Squadron was chartered in October 1977. It quickly gained a reputation as one of the Illinois Wing's top ground teams. Over the course of years, it was noticed that over 95 percent of actual missions that they were called upon were during the hours of darkness. Hence, they were dubbed 'the Black Knights' for they never failed to respond to a call for help. The patch was designed by the squadron's commander and founder, Captain Lawrence O 'Larry' Sitton, and approved by Illinois Wing Commander, Col Mel Kristmann, in May 1985. The reputation of the squadron grew and the meaning of 'A Black Knight' took on an added dimension. It came to symbolize the character traits the squadron tries to instill in its cadets: TRUTH, HONESTY, keeping ones WORD, HELPFULNESS, and ABOVE ALL... HONOR."

"In 1994, the words 'ABOVE ALL... HONOR' became the squadron motto and were added to the unit patch."