VFA - 102 Strike Fighter Squadron 102 ( VFA - 102 ) is a United States Navy Strike Fighter squadron based at Naval Air Facility Atsugi . Their call sign is Dback , with the tail code NF , and they fly the Boeing F / A - 18F Super Hornet . History . Two distinct squadrons have been designated VF - 102 . The first VF - 102 was established on 1 May 1952 flying the FG - 1D and F9F - 5 . From November 1953 to September 1954 , the squadron completed a world cruise aboard USS Tarawa ( CV - 40 ) , visiting 10 foreign countries and transiting the Suez and Panama Canals . On 1 July 1955 , VF - 102 was redesignated VA - 36 and moved from Naval Air Station Cecil Field to Naval Air Station Jacksonville . The second VF - 102 was established in 1955 , was eventually redesignated as VFA - 102 , and is the subject of the remainder of this article . 1950s . The second Fighter Squadron 102 ( VF - 102 ) , was established as VA - 36 on July 1 , 1955 , and was immediately redesignated VF - 102 on the same day ( at the time , squadron designations were associated with their assigned airwing ) . The squadron was based at NAS Jacksonville flying the F2H Banshee . The " Diamondbacks " inaugural cruise took place aboard the USS " Randolph " in July 1956 . After returning from deployment , the squadron transitioned to the F4D Skyray . In addition to four 20 mm internal cannons , the Skyray carried the new AIM - 9 Sidewinder missile . 1960s . The final cruise with the Skyray on " Forrestal " was January thru August 1961 after the squadron had moved to NAS Oceana , Virginia . It subsequently transitioned to the F - 4 Phantom beginning a 20 - year association with the Phantom . In 1964 and 1966 VF - 102 won the COMNAVAIRLANT Battle “ E ” efficiency awards . Highlights during this period included participation in Operation Sea Orbit on board the USS " Enterprise " , and combat operations off Vietnam in 1968 . 1970s . In 1975 and 1978 , VF - 102 conducted cross - deck operations aboard HMS " Ark Royal " . In 1971 , 1973 , 1974 , 1975 : the squadron conducted four deployments to the Mediterranean Sea aboard USS Independence as part of Carrier Air Wing Six , including a port call in Athens , Greece , when they had a political coup ; air cover operations for the Yom Kippur War of Israel ; and recovery of aircraft debris and bodies from TWA Flight 841 that crashed into the Mediterranean Sea after a terrorist bomb exploded in the hold . 1980s . In June 1981 the " Diamondbacks " flew their last Phantom during an Indian Ocean cruise aboard USS " Independence " . During the summer of 1981 , the squadron transitioned to the F - 14 Tomcat . With the new aircraft , the " Diamondbacks " also received a new mission in addition to their traditional fighter role — photo reconnaissance using the TARPS pod . The " Diamondbacks " deployed aboard USS " America " in the fall of 1982 to participate in the NATO Exercise Northern Wedding that required high temp operations in the heavy seas north of the British Isles , garnering considerable attention from Soviet Tupolev Tu - 95 Bear D reconnaissance aircraft . The first Tomcat deployment with Carrier Air Wing One began in 1983 and took " America " through the Suez Canal to the Indian Ocean . Two VF - 102 Tomcats , flying a routine TARPS mission over Somalia were fired upon by an SA - 2 SAM site and AAA in April 1983 . Both aircraft returned without damage . VF - 102 deployed in 1984 with the first KA - 93 LOROP camera and ARC - 182 Have Quick radios , conducting OPEVAL for both systems at sea . In 1985 , " America " participated in the NATO exercise Ocean Safari and again conducted operations in the challenging seas and low visibility conditions near the Arctic Circle and inside Vestfjord , Norway . While operating northwest of Ireland , a VF - 102 TARPS aircrew flew an unprecedented 1200 nm TARPS mission to locate a Soviet Kynda Class Cruiser transiting the English Channel . In March 1986 , the " Diamondbacks " deployed on board " America " , headed for the Gulf of Sidra joining USS " Saratoga " and USS " Coral Sea " to challenge the Libyan proclaimed Line of Death . A VF - 102 Tomcat was first to be fired on by a Libyan SA - 5 and triple - A while flying Combat Air Patrol for Operation Attain Document . A month later VF - 102 flew cover for US Navy and US Air Force bombers in Operation El Dorado Canyon . 1990s . In the fall of 1990 , the " Diamondbacks " joined the USS " John F . Kennedy " and " Saratoga " in the Red Sea as part of Operation Desert Shield , arriving the day operations were to begin . " America " remained part of the Red Sea Battle Force until directed to join USS " Ranger " , USS " Theodore Roosevelt " and USS " Midway " in the Persian Gulf . In the six week campaign , VF - 102 logged more than 1400 combat flight hours . The " Diamondbacks " embarked " America " again in December 1991 for a six - month deployment to the Mediterranean Sea and Persian Gulf . In early August 1993 , the " Diamondbacks " embarked " America " to begin their third Mediterranean deployment in three years . During this deployment the squadron conducted humanitarian operations off the coast of Bosnia - Herzegovina supporting Operation Provide Promise and Operation Deny Flight . In late October the squadron supported Operation Restore Hope off the coast of Mogadishu , Somalia . By Mid - December they were supporting Operation Southern Watch in Iraq . In June 1994 , the " Diamondbacks " returned to NAS Oceana and transitioned to the F - 14B aircraft . The Diamondbacks 1995 – 1996 Mediterranean cruise began with an emergency sortie to the Adriatic Sea to take part in Operation Deliberate Force . They then proceeded to the Persian Gulf in support of " Southern Watch " . Placement of U . S . ground forces in Bosnia , led to another " America " emergency sortie back to the Adriatic in December . The Diamondbacks remained in the Adriatic for the remainder of the cruise , logging more than 4 , 000 hours and over 1 , 900 traps during the deployment . With the disestablishment VF - 33 , VF - 102 became " America ' s " sole F - 14 unit , completing its final deployment on February 24 , 1996 . Upon " America ' s " decommissioning in 1996 , VF - 102 ( and the rest of CVW - 1 ) was assigned to USS " George Washington " ( CVN - 73 ) . In 1997 , the " Diamondbacks " deployed aboard " George Washington " . A port visit to Haifa , Israel was cut short late in November as the carrier battle group was ordered to the Persian Gulf in response to Saddam Hussein ' s barring UN weapon inspectors from carrying out their assigned tasks . As the crises grew " George Washington " joined the USS " Nimitz " and HMS " Invincible " . VF - 102 returned to Norfolk on March 13 , 1998 . In Autumn 1999 , VF - 102 deployed again to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch over southern Iraq . VF - 102 carried out strikes on numerous anti - aircraft and radar sites and conducted numerous TARPS missions . 2000s . On September 19 , 2001 in the wake of the September 11 , 2001 attacks , VF - 102 began a scheduled deployment to the Arabian Sea as a part of Operation Enduring Freedom and began combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom . During that deployment VF - 102 flew 5000 combat hours and dropped 680 bombs as well as guiding more than 50 , 000 pounds of precision guided munitions launched by other aircraft , VF - 102 dropped more ordnance and flew more combat hours then any other F - 14 unit during the war in 2001 and 2002 . In addition , as part of the USS " Theodore Roosevelt " Battle Group they were at sea for 159 consecutive days , breaking a 20 year old record . Following the return from deployment , the squadron moved to NAS Lemoore , California to begin transition training in the F / A - 18F . Upon completion , the Diamondbacks again changed homeport to Naval Air Facility Atsugi , Japan . VFA - 102 deployed to the Pacific Ocean aboard the USS " Kitty Hawk " in 2004 , 2005 , 2006 and 2007 , taking part in several military exercises , including Orange Crush , Talisman Saber , Jasex , and Valiant Shield . In March 2008 , VFA - 102 was named the Pacific Fleet Battle " E " award winner for the calendar year of 2007 . This award recognizes the " Diamondback " supremacy in battle efficiency amongst all F / A - 18E / F squadrons in the Pacific Fleet . In March 2010 , the Diamondbacks were again honored with the Pacific Fleet Battle " E " . In the spring of 2008 , VFA - 102 embarked " Kitty Hawk " for her final deployment . Following a crossdeck in San Diego , the air wing is currently assigned to the USS " George Washington " . In 2011 , The Diamondbacks transistioned to Block II Super Hornets equipped with the AN / APG - 79 AESA radar