page_title: VFA-115
section_title: 2000s
hierarchical_section_title: VFA-115 / History / 2000s
caption_attribution_description: English: A U.S. Navy Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 115 "Eagles" makes an arrested landing on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73) during the Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 fly-on.
context_page_description: Strike Fighter Squadron 115 is known as the "Eagles", callsign "Talon", a United States Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet strike fighter squadron stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. Their tail code is NF. It was established as Torpedo Squadron VT-11 on 10 October 1942, redesignated VA-12A on 15 November 1946, VA-115 on 15 July 1948, then finally VFA-115.
context_section_description: In July 2002, the squadron embarked on the first fleet Super Hornet combat deployment, flying 214 combat missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Southern Watch (OSW).  The squadron dropped 22 JDAM on 14 targets in Iraq, before taking part in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Before hostilities ceased on 9 April 2003, the squadron dropped 170 t (370,000 lb) of ordnance and passed 1.2 mio l (3.5 million lb) of fuel in the tanker support role. This wartime performance earned the squadron and the Abraham Lincoln Battle Group the Navy Unit Commendation (the sixth awarded to VFA-115).
  In May 2004, the squadron deployed aboard USS John C. Stennis. In support of the "Fleet Response Plan", the squadron participated in various joint exercises including "Northern Edge", "Rim of the Pacific", "Joint Air and Sea Exercise" and a MiG-29 passage exercise. Additionally, VFA-115 authored a comprehensive joint doctrine for maritime interdiction. This document was adopted by Commander Pacific Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations as the model for joint employment, and is today the primary training focus for deploying U.S. West Coast strike groups. The squadron was awarded the Commander Naval Air Pacific Battle Efficiency Award for 2004.
  In January 2006, the squadron deployed aboard USS Ronald Reagan to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. VFA-115 flew hundreds of combat sorties providing close air support for the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps, tanking for the carrier-based aircraft, and maritime interdiction for the strike group.
  In January 2007, VFA-115 again deployed aboard USS Ronald Reagan, returning in April 2007 to resume shore based flight training at NAS Lemoore. On 19 May 2008 VFA-115 started another deployment aboard USS Ronald Reagan to the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean.
  On 28 May 2009, VFA-115 deployed with Carrier Air Wing 14 aboard USS Ronald Reagan to the 7th and 5th Fleet Areas of Responsibility.
  On 13 December 2009, VFA-115 arrived at Naval Air Facility Atsugi to replace VFA-192 as a forward deployed squadron under Carrier Air Wing 5.   
  On 9 August 2015, VFA-115 participated in the "Three Carrier Hull Swap" as Ronald Reagan took over the duty from USS George Washington as the U.S. Navy's forward-deployed aircraft carrier in Japan.
  The squadron moved to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni when it returned from its 2017 patrol aboard USS Ronald Reagan.
caption: VFA-115 F/A-18E landing on USS George Washington, in 2013.
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