It’s almost time to suit up for the 125th Army-Navy football game — Dec. 14 in Landover, Md. — and the uniforms will once again pay tribute to each service’s rich history.

This year: the Army’s 101st Airborne Division, and the Navy’s “Jolly Rogers.”

The Black Knights will honor the legendary 101st, specifically the division’s key role in the Battle of the Bulge, according to Army Football’s news release about the uniforms.

The 101st was tasked with defending Bastogne — which is printed under the right shoulder pad on Army’s jersey — the Belgian town where Germany’s siege began on Dec. 16, 1944. Encircled by Nazi forces, the “Screaming Eagles” endured three weeks of relentless close combat in freezing weather.

“On Dec. 14, we are honored to represent the past, present, and future Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne Division,” the Black Knights’ release said. “As we take the field against our rivals, we carry the paratroopers’ legacy and traditions with us as we seek to emulate their Rendezvous with Destiny by refusing to yield the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy.”

A few other features of the uniforms:

• The helmets will read “Screaming Eagles,” and spread randomly across the team will be markings used the the paratroopers and glider troops to identify their unit affiliations.

• An Invasion Star on the right shoulder.

• A coppered Athena shield.

• 101st Airborne patch.

• The color will reflect the canopy of fog and snow.

The Navy’s uniforms will pay tribute to the Jolly Rogers and their skull and crossbones.

The Jolly Rogers were established in 1943 and are the most lethal and history-rich squadron in all of naval aviation, Navy Football said in its news release. Their tagline is Fear the Bones, and their call sign is Victory. The unit has flown nine different types of fighter aircraft in the past 63 years. 

The Skull and Crossbones first flew in January 1943 on the F4U Corsairs assigned to VF-17, the most lethal Navy fighter squadron of World War II. By the end of the war, the original Jolly Rogers had racked up over 150 kills in the skies over the Pacific. 

Some of the uniform highlights:

• The color mimics the iconic color of the Jolly Rogers aircraft.

• The neck of the jersey incorporates the dark Navy blue color and the Jolly Rogers insignia.

• The collar striping is a direct reference to the classic stripe found on the top edge of the tail fin.

• The sleeves feature the traditional Jolly Rogers angled stripe, with nine total chevrons (jersey + pant) on either side to note the nine different aircraft flown throughout the squadron’s history.

• “Fear the Bones” is incorporated into the interior collar as a discoverable detail.

No. 19 Army (9-0) has clinched a spot vs. Tulane (9-2) in the American Athletic Conference championship game on Dec. 6. The Black Knights will face No. 6 Notre Dame on Saturday.

Navy (7-3) leads the overall series against 62–55–7, but Army has won six of the last eight contests.

This year’s clash will be played at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. on CBS.

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