Fighter Squadron 84
What was the official name of VFA-86 from Feb 1953 to Jul 1955?
VFA-86 Strike Fighter Squadron 86 ( VFA-86 ) is a strike fighter squadron of the United States Navy based at Naval Air Station Lemoore , California . The squadron is nicknamed Sidewinders , leading to the call sign Winder . The unit currently flies the F/A-18E Super Hornet and is assigned to Carrier Air Wing Seven , tail code AG . History . 1950s . Reserve Fighter Squadron 921 ( VF-921 ) was called to active duty from NAS St . Louis on 1 February 1951 , for the Korean War flying the F4U-4 Corsair . VF-921 was assigned to Carrier Air Wing Eight and deployed to the Mediterranean Sea aboard , in 1951–52 . On 4 February 1953 , the squadron was redesignated Fighter Squadron 84 ( VF-84 ) , while deployed to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay , Cuba aboard . In June 1953 , the squadron briefly flew the F8F-2 Bearcat in preparation for transition to the F9F-5 Panther in November 1953 . The squadrons current Sidewinder name and insignia were adopted in April 1954 . Flying the Panther , VF-84 was again deployed to the Mediterranean Sea aboard from September 1954 to April 1955 . On 1 July 1955 the squadron began flying the F7U-3M Cutlass , was redesignated Attack Squadron 86 ( VA-86 ) , and conducted extensive evaluation of the AIM-7 Sparrow missile . VA-86 was deployed with the F7U only for the shakedown cruise of , being assigned to Air Task Group 181 . From May 1957 until 1967 , the squadron was assigned to Carrier Air Wing Seven , being equipped with various marks of the A4D/A-4 Skyhawk . Between September 1958 and March 1959 , VA-86 was deployed aboard , before CVW-7 was reassigned to the recently commissioned . 1960s . In April 1961 VA-86 operated from USS Independence near Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , during the Bay of Pigs Invasion . In November 1962 , the squadron was assigned to Carrier Air Wing Three and embarked in during the Cuban Missile Crisis operating off the coast of Jacksonville , Florida . VA-86 was flying a mix of A-4Bs and A-4Cs , as the squadron was transitioning to the A-4C . In April–May 1963 , VA-86 provided A-4C detachments aboard Atlantic Fleet anti-submarine carriers , and . The aircraft were equipped with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles to provide the carriers with anti-air warfare capability . From August 1963 to March 1964 , VA-86 was again deployed with CVW-7 aboard USS Independence to the Mediterranean Sea . Following this deployment , the squadron transitioned to the A-4E . On 1 July 1965 , the squadron conducted its first combat missions , flying from Independence against targets in South Vietnam . In 1966–67 , VA-86 was back in the Mediterranean Sea aboard Independence . On 1 June 1967 , VA-86 became the Navys first operational Atlantic Fleet squadron to fly the A-7A Corsair II . VA-86 was reassigned to Carrier Air Wing Six and made another deployment to Vietnam aboard . The squadron conducted its third South East Asia combat deployment aboard from September 1969 to July 1970 while being assigned to Carrier Air Wing Fifteen . In October 1970 , VA-86 transitioned to the E model of the A-7 . 1970s . From 1971 to 1987 , VA-86 was again assigned to CVW-8 . In late spring of 1972 , VA-86 was forced to transition to the A-7C due to unexpected problems with the A-7Es TF-41 engines . The squadron then deployed from June 1972 to March 1973 aboard USS America for a ten-month combat cruise , participating in several intense and lengthy bombing campaigns , including Operation Linebacker and Linebacker II in late-1972 . The squadron remained on station until the Paris Peace Accords were signed in late January 1973 . This was the squadrons fourth combat deployment to Southeast Asia , more than any other East Coast attack squadron and resulted in the receipt of the Meritorious Unit Commendation . The squadron deployed aboard USS America in 1974 for 7 months duty in the Mediterranean and the North Sea . In 1975 , the squadron transitioned to the A-7E and went aboard for the ships maiden voyage and made further deployments during the late 1970s and 1980s . In 1979 , VA-86 planes appeared in the movie The Final Countdown , which was filmed aboard USS Nimitz at Naval Air Station Key West , Florida . 1980s . In January 1980 , after the seizure of the American Embassy in Tehran , Iran VA-86 departed Naples , Italy embarked on Nimitz , en route to the Indian Ocean via the Cape of Good Hope , beginning of 144 consecutive days at sea . In 1981 while aboard Nimitz , the squadron participated in a Freedom of Navigation Exercise in the Gulf of Sidra . During this tense period , VA-86 flew Aerial refuelling and reconnaissance missions over potentially hostile Libyan ships . The squadron awarded the 1982 COMNAVAIRLANT Battle E , as the best East Coast A-7 squadron . In June- July 1985 while aboard USS Nimitz , VA-86 operated off the coast of Lebanon due to the hijacking of TWA flight 847 , and later that year the squadron was awarded the Wade McClusky Award , signifying the most outstanding attack squadron in the Navy . From January–February 1987 while embarked on USS Nimitz , VA-86 operated off the coast of Lebanon after three U.S . citizens were taken hostage from the American University in Beirut , Lebanon . On July 15 , 1987 , VA-86 was officially redesignated Strike Fighter Squadron 86 ( VFA-86 ) , and began flying the F/A-18C Hornet . VA-86 was the first East Coast squadron to receive the C model ( Lot 10 ) of the F/A-18 . From 1988 to 2007 , VFA-86 was assigned to Carrier Air Wing One . In 1989 , during a six-month deployment aboard America , VFA-86 provided air cover for the evacuation of the U.S . Embassy in Beirut . 1990s . In 1991 , the squadron flew combat missions in support of Operation Desert Storm from USS America operating in both the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf . In 1992 , the squadron accomplished the first East Coast F/A-18 Standoff Land Attack Missile shoot to a target on San Nicolas Island , California . In 1994 the squadron deployed aboard America in support of Operation Deny Flight . In October , USS America was ordered to the Indian Ocean off the coast of Somalia in support of United Nations relief efforts . After conducting NATO Operation Deliberate Force missions over Bosnia-Herzegovina from the Adriatic Sea , they returned to NAS Cecil Field in February 1995 . The squadron received the CNOs Safety S Award for 1995 . On 3 October 1997 , the squadron deployed to the Mediterranean Sea/Persian Gulf aboard . The squadron remained on station in the Gulf through mid-March 1998 during the crisis involving Iraqs non-compliance with UN sanctions , flying Operation Southern Watch contingency missions . VFA-86 was awarded the 1997 Battle E recognizing it as the best East Coast F/A-18 Hornet squadron . From 2 November 1998 to 17 December 1998 , VFA-86 made a short cruise to the Puerto Rican Operating Area aboard . On 22 September 1999 the squadron deployed to the Mediterranean Sea/Arabian aboard , participating in Freedom of Navigation Operations off the coast of Libya . Following the decommissioning of NAS Cecil Field in 1999 due to BRAC action , VFA-86 was one of two U.S . Navy strike fighter squadrons that relocated to MCAS Beaufort , South Carolina in lieu of NAS Oceana , Virginia . The other Navy squadron at MCAS Beaufort , VFA-82 , was deactivated in 2005 . 2000s . On 19 September 2001 , the squadron deployed aboard , in support of Operation Enduring Freedom ( OEF ) over Afghanistan against Taliban and Al Qaeda military targets . When they departed the area on 2 March 2002 , the squadron had flown over 3500 hours and expended over 213 tons of ordnance and were at sea for 160 continuous days . From August 2003 to July 2004 , VFA-86 deployed in in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom ( OIF ) and OEF . From May to November 2006 , the squadron was again deployed on the USS Enterprise in support of OIF and OEF , visiting ports in Croatia , Crete , Dubai , Hong Kong , South Korea , Malaysia and Portugal . In July 2007 , VFA-86 deployed for a last time aboard USS Enterprise in support of OIF and OEF , returning MCAS Beaufort in December 2007 . The squadron earned the 2007 Commander Naval Air Forces U.S . Atlantic Fleet Safety S . Between 31 July 2009 and 26 March 2010 , VFA-86 deployed aboard USS Nimitz to the Western Pacific and the North Arabian Sea , being assigned to Carrier Air Wing Eleven . 2010s . In 2011 the squadron relocated from MCAS Beaufort to NAS Lemoore . After their arrival , they transitioned to the F/A-18E Super Hornet . VFA-86 was then assigned to Carrier Air Wing Two aboard . External links . - Official website of VFA-86 - VFA-86 Sidewinders page on Skyhawk.org