VFA - 25 Strike Fighter Squadron 25 ( VFA - 25 ) is a United States Navy strike fighter squadron based at NAS Lemoore . Its current tail code is NE , its callsign is Fist , and it flies the F / A - 18E Super Hornet . Squadron insignia and nickname . The squadron ’ s first insignia was approved by CNO on September 28 , 1944 and was indicative of its mission as a torpedo squadron , consisting of a four leaf clover , horseshoe and flying torpedo . A black fist clenching a red lightning bolt on a field of yellow became the squadron ’ s second insignia and has been in use , with some modifications , since CNO approval on June 9 , 1949 . The fist on the Insignia is actually Zeus ' fist from Greek Mythology . On July 24 , 1959 , CNO approved a modification to the insignia which added a scroll with the designation VA - 25 . On January 24 , 1974 CNO approved another modification to the insignia , adding three black stars . When the squadron was designated VFA - 25 it continued to use the fist and lightning bolt insignia but dropped the three stars . 4 stars were again added ( date unknown ) representing wars in which VFA - 25 has flown aircraft into combat : WWII , Korea , Vietnam , and most recently , Iraq . History . Two US Navy squadrons have held the designation VA - 25 . The first VA - 25 would eventually become VA - 65 and is not related to the subject of this article . The second VA - 25 has a direct lineage to the current VFA - 25 " Fist of the Fleet " . 1940s . The " Fist of the Fleet " was originally commissioned as Torpedo Squadron 17 ( VT - 17 ) on January 1 , 1943 at NAS Norfolk flying the Grumman TBF Avenger . On September 10 , 1943 the squadron embarked in USS Bunker Hill ( CV - 17 ) , en route from Norfolk to Pearl Harbor via the Panama Canal and San Diego . On November 11 , 1943 the squadron flew its first combat sorties , striking targets in Rabaul . The squadron flew numerous combat missions through February 1944 , striking targets in Kavieng , Kwajalein , Eniwetok , Truk and Tinian . In February 1945 , the squadron flew numerous combat missions against targets in Japan and the Bonin Islands and provided ground support for the Invasion of Iwo Jima . In March 1945 , VT - 17 aircraft struck Japanese ships in the East China Sea , Inland Sea and around the Ryukyu Islands and land based targets in and around Okinawa . On April 7 , 1945 , VT - 17 , along with other units from the task force , attacked a Japanese naval force composed of the super - battleship " Yamato " and her escorts , scoring several torpedo hits on the " Yamato " and sinking one of her destroyer escorts . From April – June 1945 , combat missions were flown against targets in and around Okinawa in preparation for the invasion of that island , targets in and around Kyushu , Shikoku and ships in the East China Sea . In March 1946 the squadron transitioned to the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver attack bomber , and was redesignated as VA - 6B on November 15 , 1946 . On September 23 , 1947 , the squadron transitioned to the Douglas AD - 1 ( later A - 1 ) Skyraider , affectionately nicknamed the " Spad , " the type it would fly for the next 21 years . The squadron sailed aboard the USS " Coral Sea " on its maiden voyage in early 1948 , and was redesignated as VA - 65 on July 27 , 1948 . From October 27 to November 23 , 1949 , VA - 65 embarked in USS Franklin D . Roosevelt ( CV - 42 ) , to the Davis Straits area conducting cold weather exercises . 1950s . The outbreak of hostilities with which would become the Korean war saw the squadron transferred to NAS Moffett Field , California . On September 15 , 1950 , embarked aboard the USS " Boxer " , squadron aircraft participated in combat strikes against shore defenses in and around Incheon , Korea , just before the landings at Incheon . On October 1 , 1950 , VA - 65 aircraft struck the North Korean capital of Pyongyang , hitting the airfield and scoring a direct hit on a large electrical power plant . On June 23 , 1952 , VA - 65 ’ s Skyraiders hit the Suiho power plant on the Yalu River . In February 1955 , while embarked in USS Essex ( CVA - 9 ) and operating in the Formosa Straits , the squadron provided air support during the evacuation of Nationalist Chinese forces from the Tachen Islands which had come under bombardment by the People ’ s Republic of China . On July 1 , 1959 the squadron was redesignated Attack Squadron Twenty - five ( VA - 25 ) . 1960s . In March 1961 , the squadron , while embarked in " Midway , " operated in the South China Sea due to the crisis in Laos . In 1962 , the squadron moved to its current home , the newly completed NAS Lemoore . From April 1965 through April 6 , 1968 , the squadron made three deployments in support of the Vietnam War , still flying the A - 1 . During this period , " Fist " pilots flew over 3 , 000 combat missions , dropping more than 10 millions pounds of ordnance on enemy targets . On June 20 , 1965 , four VA - 25 propeller driven " Spads " were engaged by two Vietnamese Mikoyan - Gurevich MiG - 17 s deep in North Vietnam — two of the " Fists " pilots were credited with a successful guns kill against one of the jet - powered fighters . When the squadron turned in its A - 1 " Spads " in 1968 , it was the last tactical propeller driven squadron in the Navy . In January 1968 , squadron aircraft provided close air support for U . S . Marines besieged at Khe Sanh , South Vietnam . In October 1968 , the squadron transitioned to the LTV A - 7 Corsair II , with which it again deployed to Southeast Asia , after only four months of training , aboard USS " Ticonderoga " . It was during this cruise that the " Fists " set a record — in 33 flying days , " Fist " pilots flew 1 , 650 sorties in combat . During this period , each squadron pilot averaged over 92 hours in the air . 1970s . In October 1970 , the " Fists " began a long and successful relationship with the USS " Ranger " , nicknamed " Top Gun . " In the following two years , the squadron made two more combat cruises , expending over 15 million pounds of ordnance on targets in Laos and Vietnam . On November 21 , 1970 , squadron aircraft flew in support of Operation Ivory Coast , the attempt to free American POWs from Son Tay 20 miles west of Hanoi . The squadron made four more deployments aboard " Ranger " in the ' 70s . In December 1972 , the squadron participated in Linebacker II Operations , heavy air strikes against targets primarily around Hanoi and Haiphong . On January 15 , 1973 , the squadron participated in a large laser - guided bombing attack against bridge targets in North Vietnam . This coordinated strike , led by the VA - 145 Swordsmen , used the Grumman A - 6 Intruder ’ s Pave Knife Laser Designation System to attack 14 North Vietnamese bridges with Mark 83 and Mark 84 laser - guided bombs dropped by the A - 6A and A - 7E aircraft . Following the cease fire with North Vietnam on January 27 , the squadron concentrated its attention on strikes against lines - of - communication targets in Laos until an agreement was reached with that country . In July 1976 following the Israeli raid on Entebbe , " Ranger " , with VA - 25 embarked , was ordered to transit from the South China Sea to the western Indian Ocean and operate off the coast of Kenya . 1980s . VA - 25 was on station in the Indian Ocean during the Iran hostage crisis . In May 1983 , the " Fists " began training in the then - new F / A - 18A Hornet . The squadron was redesignated as Strike Fighter Squadron 25 ( VFA - 25 ) on July 1 , 1983 . Operational air wing training in multiple air - to - air and air - to - ground exercises with the USS " Constellation " were conducted for the remainder of 1984 through January 1985 . In February 1985 , the " Fists " departed on the historic first deployment of the F / A - 18 Hornet aboard USS " Constellation " to the western Pacific and Indian Ocean . In July 1987 during the Iran – Iraq War , VFA - 25 provided air cover for reflagged tankers transiting the Straits of Hormuz during Operation Earnest Will . In June 1989 , the squadron transitioned to the F / A - 18C . 1990s . When Iraq invaded Kuwait on August 2 , 1990 , the " Fists " responded aboard the USS " Independence " , flying combat patrols in support of Operation Desert Shield from the Gulf of Oman for three months before being relieved by USS " Midway " . In 1994 , aboard the USS " Carl Vinson " the squadron operated extensively in the Persian Gulf , flying missions over Iraq in support of Operation Southern Watch . In 1996 , the squadron continued its participation in Operation Southern Watch and Operation Desert Strike . After being on station for more than three months , the " Fists " returned from deployment on November 12 , 1996 . In 1998 , the squadron deployed on USS " Abraham Lincoln " , where it enforced United Nations no - fly zones in Iraq . 2000s . In 2000 , the " Fists " dropped several bombs on selected tactical targets in southern Iraq , and continued to patrol the skies in the Persian Gulf . In July 2002 , the " Fists " left NAS Lemoore for a regularly scheduled six - month deployment aboard " Abraham Lincoln . " There the " Fists " saw action in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom as well as over Iraq , in support of Operation Southern Watch . In the fall and winter of 2002 , as the United States moved closer to decisive action in dealing with Iraq , " Abraham Lincoln " was ordered to stay on station in the Persian Gulf . After a total of three extensions and approaching the ship ' s tenth month away from home , war was declared against Iraq . On March 19 , 2003 , the squadron began combat sorties in earnest and Operation Southern Watch abruptly turned into Operation Iraqi Freedom . The " Fist of the Fleet " participated in the first - night air strikes to Baghdad in what has become known as the Shock and Awe campaign . The squadron sustained an average of 20 daily combat sorties , while striking targets in Basra , An Nasiriya , Al Kut , Najaf , Al Hillah and ultimately Baghdad . The squadron ’ s 272 combat sorties over 18 straight days struck the Iraqi regime ’ s Medina , Baghdad , and Nebuchadnezzar Armored Divisions , military airfields , facilities and command and control infrastructure . VFA - 25 returned to the United States in May 2003 . VFA - 25 deployed aboard USS John C . Stennis ( CVN - 74 ) in May 2004 to the Western Pacific , returning November 1 , 2004 . From January to July 6 , 2006 , VFA - 25 deployed with CVW - 14 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Valiant Shield aboard USS Ronald Reagan ( CVN - 76 ) on her maiden voyage . In January 2007 , VFA - 25 deployed for a 3 - month " surge deployment " to the U . S . Seventh Fleet Area of Operations . VFA - 25 deployed again to the WESTPAC from June to November 2008 . On May 28 , 2009 , VFA - 25 and Carrier Air Wing 14 deployed with USS Ronald Reagan ( CVN - 76 ) on a deployment to the 7th and 5th Fleet Areas of Responsibility . In 2010 , VFA - 25 joined Carrier Air Wing Seventeen deployed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson ( CVN - 70 ) sporting the " AA " tailcode leaving Carrier Air Wing Fourteen and the " NK " tailcode for the first time in decades . Following a successful combat deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2012 , VFA - 25 returned to NAS Lemoore , CA to begin the next chapter of the squadrons ' Fistory ' as they begin the transition to the F / A - 18E Super Hornet . As of Late January 2013 VFA - 25 had transitioned to the F / A - 18E Super Hornet .