VFA - 83 Strike Fighter Squadron 83 ( VFA - 83 ) , also known as the " Rampagers " , are a United States Navy F / A - 18C Hornet fighter squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana . They are a part of Carrier Air Wing 7 , their tailcode is " AG " and their radio callsign is " Ram " . Insignia and nickname . The squadron was first known as the " Roaring Bulls " and the first insignia was approved by Chief of Naval Operations on 16 May 1950 , consisting of a black bull with machine gun barrels for horns . The squadron was renamed and the first Rampager insignia was approved on 12 April 1957 . History . 1950s . VFA - 83 was originally formed as Naval Reserve Fighter Squadron 916 at NAS Squantum in Massachusetts in April 1950 . VF - 916 was called to active duty in NAS Jacksonville on 11 February 1951 and moved to NAS Oceana , Virginia in September 1951 . The squadron was assigned to Carrier Air Group 8 ( CVG - 8 ) and was equipped with the Vought F4U - 4 Corsair . CVG - 8 was deployed aboard the aircraft carrier USS " Tarawa " to the Mediterranean Sea from November 1951 to June 1952 . Afterwards VF - 916 transitioned to the Grumman F9F - 5 Panther . They also flew the F8F Bearcat for a short time in 1952 . On 4 February 1953 , the squadron was redesignated fighter squadron VF - 83 . In the same year VF - 83 made a deployment aboard the USS " Coral Sea " to the Mediterranean Sea . In August 1954 , VF - 83 transitioned to the Vought F7U - 3M Cutlass equipped with the Sparrow I air - to - air missile , and on 1 July 1955 was re - designated as attack squadron VA - 83 . VA - 83 made another deployment to the Mediterreanean Sea aboard the USS " Intrepid " in 1956 , this being the first overseas deployment of a naval missile squadron . The squadron received the Douglas A4D - 1 Skyhawk in March 1957 and then in December 1957 , was the first fleet squadron to receive the A4D - 2 version , which was the first to be equipped with an aerial refueling capability . From July to August 1958 following continued civil violence in Lebanon , VA - 83 was deployed as part of Air Task Group 201 ( ATG - 201 ) aboard the USS " Essex " . The squadron flew sorties during the U . S . Marine Corps landings in Lebanon , and two of its aircraft were hit by hostile small arms fire receiving minor damage . In September 1958 the squadron conducted flight operations from the " Essex " while operating in the Taiwan Straits in response to the People ’ s Republic of China shelling of the Quemoy Islands . 1960s . From 1960 to 1966 VA - 83 made five deployments with Carrier Air Wing 8 ( CVW - 8 ) aboard the USS " Forrestal " to the Mediterranean Sea , the first still flying the A - 4B , then two with the A - 4C , and two with the A - 4E . In 1961 and 1962 they won the COMNAVAIRLANT Battle “ E ” . In Aug 1962 , a squadron A4D - 2N Skyhawk crossdecked aboard the British carrier HMS " Hermes " . In late 1963 a detachment of VA - 83 also operated from the USS " Lake Champlain " providing fighter cover for Anti - Submarine Carrier Air Group 52 ( CVSG - 52 ) . On 15 Jun 1966 they re - located to NAS Cecil Field in Florida . In 1966 - 67 and 1967 - 68 CVW - 8 and VA - 83 were deployed on the USS " Shangri - La " , and in 1969 on the USS " John F . Kennedy " . During the last two deployments the squadron flew again A - 4Cs . 1970s . In June 1970 , VA - 83 transitioned to the A - 7 Corsair II and was reassigned to Carrier Air Wing Seventeen ( CVW - 17 ) . From January 1971 to November 1982 VA - 83 deployed eight times aboard the " Forrestal " to the Mediterranean Sea . In 1973 , the squadron won its third CNO Aviation Safety Award and in March 1974 they began their 14th Mediterranean Sea deployment . From July to August 1974 , the squadron operated in the vicinity of Cyprus following a coup in that country and its invasion by Turkish forces . In 1975 they completed their 25th year as an active squadron , 20 , 000 accident free flight hours which earned them another CNO Safety Award . Between 1975 and 1982 they made three deployments , including training operations with NATO allies in the North Atlantic . 1980s . From May to June 1981 while embarked in " Forrestal " , VA - 83 operated in the eastern Mediterranean following Isareli reprisal raids against Syrian missile batteries located in southern Lebanon . In Aug 1981 , the squadron participated in a Freedom of Navigation Exercise in the Gulf of Sidra . During this exercise two F - 14 Tomcats from " Nimitz " shot down two Libyan SU - 22 Fitters on 18 August . Tensions escalated and VA - 83 flew reconnaissance missions over potentially hostile Libyan ships . In 1982 they deployed to support peacekeeping forces in Lebanon . Between 1984 and 1994 VA - 83 and CVW - 17 were assigned for six deployments to the USS " Saratoga " . During the 1985 - 1986 cruise they supported operations in the Indian Ocean as well as operations in the Mediterranean Sea and Operation El Dorado Canyon against Libya . Squadron aircraft fired AGM - 88 HARM s against a Libyan missile radar site , marking the first use of that missile in combat . 1987 marked their final deployment with the Corsair , and in November they began the transition to the McDonnell Douglas F / A - 18C Hornet , and on 1 March 1988 were re - designated to strike fighter squadron VFA - 83 . 1990s . In the summer of 1990 they made their first Hornet deployment aboard the " Saratoga " in support of Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm . For 43 days they flew 237 combat missions over Iraq and Kuwait , they were awarded the 1990 COMNAVAIRLANT Battle “ E ” and the 1991 CNO Aviation Safety Award . In 1992 they deployed to the Adriatic Sea supporting United Nations operations in former Yugoslavia . In 1994 they made a second deployment to the area , which also marked the first ever detachment to Jordan . They were awarded their sixth CNO Aviation Safety Award in 1994 . In 1996 the Rampagers deployed to the Mediterranean Sea , the Adriatic Sea and the Persian Gulf on board the USS " Enterprise " in support of Operation Southern Watch . In 1996 they were awarded the Battle “ E ” and Michael J . Estocin Award , as the best F / A - 18 squadron in the US Navy . The squadron was then equipped with the F / A - 18C ( N ) . In April 1998 VFA - 83 was relocated to NAS Oceana , Virginia ( USA ) . During the same year the squadron was deployed aboard the USS " Dwight D . Eisenhower " to the Mediterranean Sea . 2000s . CVW - 17 was then reassigned to the carrier USS " George Washington " and made two deployments to the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabian Sea in 2000 and 2002 , supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom . These operations continued in 2004 during the last deployment of the " John F . Kennedy " . VFA - 83 was then reassigned to Carrier Air Wing Seven and deployed again on the " Dwight D . Eisenhower " to the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean from October 2006 to May 2007 . As " Ike " was refitted in 2008 , the strike fighter squadrons of CVW - 7 were assigned to CVW - 17 and conducted a work - up period on the " George Washington " . During that cruise CVW - 7 ' s squadrons retained their tail code " AG " .