VFA - 31 VFA - 31 or Strike Fighter Squadron 31 is known as the " Tomcatters " , callsign " Felix " , a United States Navy strike fighter squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana flying the F / A - 18E Super Hornet . The Tomcatters are the second oldest Navy Fighter Attack squadron operating today . Squadron insignia and nickname . The squadron was originally known as the " Shooting Stars " . The original " Felix Cat Squadron " was VF - 3 . When the two squadrons swapped designations , both squadrons claimed the " Felix " mascot and call sign , which caused controversy for the coming three years . Finally in November 1946 , VF - 6 was decommissioned and the Chief of Naval Operations approved the adoption of the " Felix the Cat " name and call sign for VF - 3A ’ s exclusive use . The emblem and mascot is the famous cartoon character Felix the Cat , running with a large spherical bomb with a lighted fuse . The yellow field and outline were omitted from the aircraft and four stars at the end of a pair of sweeps were added . This emblem can be seen on the fuselage of the aircraft above the wing . Several well - known aviators have flown with Felix on their shoulders , including Charles Lindbergh and Butch O ' Hare . The nickname " Tomcatters " was adopted in 1948 . History . Two US Navy squadrons have held the designation VF - 31 . The first to be designated VF - 31 was in existence from May 1943 to Oct 1945 and is " not " related to the subject of this article . The second VF - 31 has a direct lineage to the current VFA - 31 " Tomcatters " . Early years . VFA - 31 , originally established as VF - 1B on July 1 , 1935 flying the Boeing F4B , is the second oldest active US Navy squadron behind VFA - 14 ( 1919 ) . On 1 July 1937 , the squadron combined with VF - 8B and was redesignated VF - 6 , flying the Grumman F3F . Between the years 1937 and 1943 VF - 6 flew the F3F - 1 and two variants of the Grumman F4F and ended with the F4F - 4 . On 15 July 1943 , VF - 6 swapped designations with VF - 3 and began flying the F6F Hellcat . Through the years the Tomcatters and their predecessors have served on many of the Navy ' s aircraft carriers , including the first , the USS " Langley " ; the second , USS " Lexington " ; and the sixth , . They were aboard " Enterprise " during the bombing of Pearl Harbor as well as the battles of Wake Island , Marcus Island , Midway , Guadalcanal , and the Eastern Solomon Islands . The squadron also saw aerial combat over the Philippines , Formosa , Okinawa , and China . On 7 August 1948 , VF - 3A was redesignated VF - 31 Tomcatters . For almost four years , the Tomcatters flew the F9F Panther , the squadron ' s first jet aircraft . 1950s . In 1952 , the squadron transitioned to the F2H Banshee , and then switched to the F3H Demon in 1957 , flying it through 1962 . 1960s . VF - 31 transitioned to the F - 4 Phantom in 1964 , flying the B model for two years before transitioning to the F - 4J . 1970s . In 1972 , flying the F - 4J Phantom , Tomcatter aircrew shot down a MiG - 21 over North Vietnam and in doing so made VF - 31 the only Navy fighter squadron to achieve aerial victories in three wars - World War II , the Korean War and the Vietnam War . 1980s . In 1980 , VF - 31 and USS " Saratoga " concluded a 24 - year period of continuous service together , the longest in naval history . VF - 31 received the F - 14 Tomcat in early 1981 . The squadron ' s first cruise was on board USS " John F . Kennedy " . In 1983 , VF - 31 embarked on its fourth cruise with " Kennedy " . The cruise took the carrier and its air wing to the southern Mediterranean off the North African coast . VF - 31 regularly flew over Lebanese and Syrian positions in support of multi - national peacekeeping operations , often being fired at by Syrian AAA . During a mission in early December 1983 , heat - seeking SA - 7 SAM s were launched at two squadron F - 14s . Although both Tomcats were able to return safely to " Kennedy " , this incident led to US Navy retaliatory strikes . On December 4 , both carriers in the Mediterranean Sea , " Kennedy " and USS " Independence " , launched strikes against Syrian SAM sites , losing one A - 7 and one A - 6 . VF - 31 shifted carriers and air wings in April 1985 and was now on board USS " Forrestal " along with its sister squadron , the VF - 11 Red Rippers . In June 1986 , VF - 31 and the rest of the Forrestal battle group set sail for the Mediterranean . While deployed the squadron participated in numerous fleet exercises . In August 1986 , VF - 31 participated in joint exercises with the Egyptian Air - Force and Navy . In September 1987 VF - 31 and the Forrestal battle group participated in North Atlantic exercises above the arctic circle . In April , 1988 VF - 31 and the Forrestal battle group set sail for a six month Indian Ocean cruise which lasted for six months . While heading home from the " IO " , the battle group once again participated in North Atlantic NATO exercises before coming home to Oceana in Virginia Beach , Virginia . 1990s . VF - 31 stayed with " Forrestal " until 1992 , when the squadron switched carriers , planes , and home bases at concurrently . VF - 31 ( and VF - 11 ) moved from NAS Oceana to NAS Miramar and to the USS " Carl Vinson " , and exchanged its F - 14As for the new and improved F - 14Ds . In late 1996 , VF - 31 returned from its second Western Pacific deployment aboard USS Carl Vinson ( CVN - 70 ) , flying missions in the Persian Gulf and over southern Iraq in support of Operations Southern Watch and Desert Strike . VF - 31 moved back to Oceana in 1997 . The squadron then sent a single F - 14D and crew to the 1997 Paris Air Salon , primarily to promote new F - 14 LANTIRN . In 1998 they made a deployment to the Persian Gulf with USS Abraham Lincoln ( CVN - 72 ) supporting Operation Southern Watch . 2000s . 2000 began with a WESTPAC deployment on board the Lincoln . VF - 31 deployed aboard USS " Abraham Lincoln " in July 2002 , operating over Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom , and again over the skies of Iraq supporting Operation Southern Watch . During their return home , the entire battle group was turned around on 1 January for the commencement of Operation Iraqi Freedom . Flying from the first night of combat , VF - 31 was responsible for delivering ordnance to targets in Baghdad and the southern vicinities in direct support of coalition forces . During that deployment , VF - 31 had the dubious distinction of having the longest cruise in the last 30 years of the Navy ’ s history , returning to Oceana on 2 May 2003 . The squadron flew 585 sorties , dropping 239 LGB / JDAM / MK 82 . In 2004 , VF - 31 and CVW - 14 embarked on for a WESTPAC cruise . This was the last time the F - 14 would fly over the skies of the Pacific . They returned to the US on October 31 , 2004 . The squadron became the last unit to fly F - 14 Tomcats with the Pacific Fleet . In December 2004 , VF - 31 transferred from Carrier Air Wing Fourteen to its current home with Carrier Air Wing Eight and USS Theodore Roosevelt ( CVN - 71 ) . In September 2005 , the Tomcatters deployed aboard " Theodore Roosevelt " for the final Tomcat deployment , again to the Persian Gulf . February 7 , 2006 marked the last recovery of an F - 14 Tomcat from a combat mission . While operating from " Theodore Roosevelt " in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom , VF - 31 was credited with being the last F - 14 unit to drop a bomb in combat . VF - 31 returned to NAS Oceana on March 10 , 2006 for the final F - 14 fly - in . VF - 31 remained operational aboard " Theodore Roosevelt " until July 28 , 2006 when the last Tomcat trap and catapult launch took place off the Virginia Capes , with journalists from around the world ( Mexico , UK , Holland , Germany and US ) witnessing . VF - 31 was the last Tomcat squadron , with the last F - 14 flight occurring on October 4 , 2006 as BuNo . 164603 flew from NAS Oceana to Republic Airport . After spending a year at the American Airpower Museum , the aircraft is now on public display outside of Northrop Grumman headquarters in Bethpage , NY . VF - 31 transitioned to F / A - 18E Super Hornet and was redesignated VFA - 31 in ( date ) late 2006 . VFA - 31 , along with CVW - 8 and " Theodore Roosevelt " , participated in Joint Task Force Exercise 08 - 4 Operation Brimstone off the coast of North Carolina between July 21 and July 31 , 2008 . The British carrier , the amphibious assault ship with associated units and the Brazilian Navy frigate " Greenhalgh " ( F - 46 ) and the French submarine " Améthyste " also participated in the event . On 8 September 2008 , VFA - 31 and the rest of CVW - 8 deployed on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt on a regularly scheduled deployment . On October 4 , the Roosevelt Carrier Group arrived in Cape Town , South Africa , the first visit by an American aircraft carrier since 1967 and three days later the carrier left Cape Town . CVW - 8 and CVN - 71 supported Operation Enduring Freedom and flew more than 3 , 100 sorties and dropped more than 59 , 500 pounds of ordnance while providing Close Air Support for ISAF - forces in Afghanistan . On March 21 , 2009 it was reported that USS Theodore Roosevelt was relieved by USS Dwight D . Eisenhower ( CVN - 69 ) . 2010 ' s . On May 11 , 2011 , the squadrons of CVW - 8 embarked on USS George H . W . Bush ( CVN - 77 ) ' s maiden deployment , scheduled to conduct operations in the US 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operations . The Tomcatters have since returned to Naval Air Station Oceana in December , 2011 , days before the return of the USS George H . W . Bush . Awards . During its long history , the Tomcatters have received the Commander Naval Air Force , U . S . Atlantic Fleet Battle " E " Award for the best fighter squadron in the Atlantic Fleet , the prestigious Admiral Joseph Clifton Award for the top fighter squadron in the Navy , the prestigious Admiral C . Wade McClusky Award for the top attack squadron in the Navy , the Chief of Naval Operations Safety " S " award , and the Arleigh Burke Award , which is awarded " to the ship or squadron with the most improved battle efficiency " . In 1974 , VF - 31 WAS AWARDED THE " Presidential Unit Citation " for excellence in combat during deployment to Viet nam in 1972 - 1973