Title: Tortoise Awareness Campaign
Designer: Unknown; submitted by Al Bowers
Year it was designed: circa 1992
Explanation or story behind the patch: The first tortoise training, for personnel going out into the field, was instituted around 1990. The patch and sticker of the tortoise was to signify the bearer had received the training.
Of course, the tortoise training resulted in some jokes about tortoises around the Center. Such as the use of the word tortellini, talking about tortoise soup, etc. One of the home garden stores in town was selling a “garden turtle” lawn ornament. So of course one was procured and painted in the same scheme as the SR-71. Of course the joke extended to using the “Mach 3 Tortoise” as a wheel chock for one of the field vehicles. The participants found this particularly funny.