VFA-31

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Strike Fighter Squadron 31
VFA-31 Insignia
Active	July 1, 1935
Country	United States
Branch	United States Navy
Type	Fighter/Attack
Role	Close air support Air interdiction Aerial reconnaissance
Part of	Carrier Air Wing Eight
Garrison/HQ	NAS Oceana
Nickname	"Tomcatters"
Engagements	World War II Korean War Vietnam War Operation Southern Watch Operation Iraqi Freedom

Strike Fighter Squadron 31 (VFA-31), known as the Tomcatters are a United States Navy strike fighter squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana flying the F/A-18E Super Hornet.

1 History
2 History of the Felix insignia
3 Links and reference

[edit] History

[edit] Early years

An F8F-1 Bearcat aircraft parked on the flight line with other aircraft during a Fighter Squadron 31 (VF-31) reunion.

VFA-31 is the second oldest active US Navy squadron. VFA-31 was originally established as VF-1B Shooting Stars on July 1, 1935 flying the Boeing F4B. Two years later the unit switched designation to VF-6 as well as aircraft and began 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. In July 1943 VF-6 swapped designations with VF-3, The Felix Cat Squadron, and began flying the F6F Hellcat. Both squadrons claimed the Felix mascot and call sign after the switch, which caused controversy for the coming three years. Finally in 1946 VF-3 became VF-3A, flying the F8F Bearcat, while VF-6 was decommissioned. The Chief of Naval Operations approved the adoption of the Felix the Cat name and call sign for VF-3A’s use.

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, USS Enterprise. They were aboard USS Enterprise during the bombing of Pearl Harbor as well as the battles of Wake Island, Marcus Island, Midway, Guadalcanal, and the Eastern Solomon Islands. In 1980, VF-31 and USS Saratoga concluded a 24-year period of continuous service together, the longest in naval history.

An F-4J Phantom II from VF-31 aboard USS Saratoga (CV-60).

On August 7, 1948, VF-3A became the VF-31 Tomcatters. For almost four years, the Tomcatters flew the F9F Panther, the squadron's first jet aircraft. From 1952 to 1957, VF-31 flew the F2H Banshee. In 1957, the squadron switched to the F3H Demon, flying it through 1962. For two years after this the Tomcatters flew the F-3B variant before transitioning to the F-4 Phantom. After two years with the B model, the squadron switched to the F-4J, and flew this through 1981.

VF-31 is the only US squadron (of all three branches) to have scored confirmed kills in three wars, World War II, the Korean war and the Vietnam war. 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.

[edit] 1980s & 1990s

An F-14D Tomcat from VF-31 at Naval Air Station Oceana.

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 USS John F. 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, which had little chance of hitting the fast and high F-14s. However, during a mission in early December, heat-seeking SA-7 SAM’s were launched at two F-14s. Although both Tomcats were able to return safely to the Kennedy, this incident led to US Navy retaliatory strikes. On December 4, both carriers in the Mediterranean Sea, the Kennedy and USS Independence, launched strikes against 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, VF-11 Red Rippers. They stayed with the Forrestal until 1992 when it became the US Navy’s replacement for USS Lexington as a permanent training carrier. VF-31 (and VF-11) switched carriers, planes, and home bases at the same time. It 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.

The stay at Miramar didn’t last very long as VF-31 and VF-11 moved back to Oceana in 1997. The squadron was very busy that year. It sent a single F-14D and crew to the 1997 Paris Air Salon, primarily to promote the LANTIRN capabilities that F-14 squadrons was receiving. A few months later, several aircraft deployed to their old home of NAS (now MCAS Marine Corps Air Station) Miramar, along with other squadrons from CVW-14, for air wing workups. The detachment featured a great deal of live weapon firing, including the dropping of four 2,000 lb (910 kg) bombs from an F-14 in a single bombing run. They also took part in Roving Sands '97, the world's largest joint air operations exercise.

During its long history, VF-31 received the Battle "E" for the best fighter squadron in the Atlantic Fleet, the prestigious Admiral Joseph Clifton Award for the top fighter squadron in the Navy, and the Chief of Naval Operations Safety "S" award.

[edit] 2000s

An F-14D Tomcat makes a near-supersonic low-level fly-by above the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71).

VF-31 participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 on board USS Abraham Lincoln. The squadron flew 585 sorties totalling 1744 flight hours, dropping 239 LGB/JDAM/MK-82. Their very first mission in the war saw two F-14Ds paired with four F/A-18Es from VFA-115 as they attacked a missile production facility in the Karbala area some 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Baghdad. Each F-14 carried two 2,000 lb (910 kg) JDAM bombs. During this mission, an AWACS controller advised the strike package (which also consisted if a United States Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler and a section of USAF F-16 SEAD flight) that a Tu-16 had been located at the Al Taqaddum air base. The airfield was about 30 miles (48 km) from their current position. The F-14 lead (crewed by the VF-31 commanding officer) quickly devised a new timing plan which allowed the F-16s and the EA-6B to provide converge for both strike packages and the JDAM bombs were quickly reprogrammed for their new target. The F-16s supported the ingress and quickly turned their attention to the Super Hornets as the F-14Ds destroyed the Iraqi bomber. The F-14s were greeted by intense AAA and SAM as they departed from the target area. All targets hit (as well as the missile facility which was attacked by the Super Hornets).

In 2004, VF-31 and CVW-14 embarked on USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) for a WESTPAC cruise. This was the last time the F-14 would fly over the skies of the Pacific. They returned home to the US on October 31, 2004. The squadron became the last unit to fly F-14 Tomcats with the Pacific Fleet. VF-31 continued to operate with the remaining F-14 squadrons as part of the Atlantic Fleet and was teamed up with VF-213 Blacklions, also flying F-14D, for the very last cruise ever with the F-14 in 2005-2006 on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71).

On February 7, 2006 was the last recovery of F-14 Tomcats from a combat mission. VF-31 was credited with being the last F-14 unit to drop a bomb. LT Justin "JUGS" Halligan and LT Bill "Tank" Frank were credited with the final bomb drop in combat. During their final deployment with USS Theodore Roosevelt, VF-31 and VF-213 collectively completed 1,163 combat sorties totaling 6,876 flight hours, and dropped 9,500 pounds of ordnance during reconnaissance, surveillance, and close air support missions in support of OIF.

On March 10, 2006, VF-31 and VF-213 returned to NAS Oceana after the final F-14 deployment. All 22 tomcats flew together in a wedge formation over NAS Oceana as hundreds of people cheered. In late June 2006, VF-31 was awarded the Arleigh Burke Award, which is awarded "to the ship or squadron with the most improved battle efficiency". Besides the Arleigh Burke Award, VF-31 was also awarded U.S. Fleet Forces Command Golden Anchor for Retention Excellence and the Commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet Battle “E” award..

VF-31 "Tomcatters" remained operational aboard the Theodore Roosevelt until July 28th, when the last Tomcat trap and catapult launch took place, off the Virginia coast, with journalists invited from around the world (Mexico,UK,Holland,Germany and US attended). Aircraft #112 was the last F-14 to take off from an aircraft carrier ever, piloted by LT Blake "Sobby" Coleman and Radar Intercept Officer LCDR Dave "Sewp" Lauderbaugh at 4:42p.m.ET from catapult no. 3. The Tomcats landed in NAS Oceana and during September flew out to different bases, participated in the NAS Oceana Airshow on the 6th led by LCDR Charles "Scotty" Brown IV for its final showing, and celebrated the official goodbye ceremony, the "Tomcat Sunset" from September 21 to 23, and making the last F-14 flight on October 4, 2006 ferrying BuNo.164604 to Republic Airport from NAS Oceana.

After turning in their F-14D Super Tomcats during the "Tomcat Sunset," VF-31 began their transition to F/A-18E Super Hornet. VF-31 was the last Tomcat squadron, and was redesignated VFA-31 Tomcatters. The Tomcatters have recently received their F/A-18E Super Hornets (aircraft formerly planned for VFA-136 Knighthawks, who had to surge-deploy instead), after being introduced to the type by VFA-106 Gladiators.

[edit] History of the Felix insignia

The squadron emblem 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 "Fighting 31" today specializes in night fighting -- their motto is "We get ours at night."