In late 1996, VF-31 returned from its second Western Pacific deployment aboard USS Carl Vinson, flying missions in the Persian Gulf and over southern Iraq in support of Operations Southern Watch and Desert Strike.

Flying from the first night of combat over Baghdad to the last day of the short war, VF-31 was individually responsible for delivering more than 230,000 tons of ordnance.

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.

USS America crossed through the Suez Canal on 15 January 1991, the same day the UN deadline for Iraq leaving Kuwait ended. At daylight on 19 January 1991 (2 days after the first night), CVW-1 conducted their first strikes against Iraq.

In late 1996 VF-31 returned from a Western Pacific deployment aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), flying in support of Operations SOUTHERN WATCH and DESERT STRIKE over the Arabian Gulf and southern Iraq.

In late 1996 VF-31 returned from its second Western Pacific deployment aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), flying missions in the Arabian Gulf and over southern Iraq in support of Operations...

At sixty-one years of age VF-31 is the second oldest continuously active US Navy aircraft squadron. Originally established as VF-1B on 1st July 1935 the squadron received it's current designation in August 1948.

Between 5 October 2005 and 11 February 2006, VF-31 and VF-213 completed 1,163 combat sorties over Iraq, totalling 6,876 flying hours, during 96 days of combat operations. Many more missions were flown as part of CVW-8's commitment to Sea Dragon.

Unprecedented inside access to multiple air-to-air photo missions with forward deployed combat units in the Arabian Gulf inlcuding VF-31 only one week before the last ever Tomcat combat strike mission into Iraq.

Taken during the F-14 Tomcat’s last cruise, the cool, funny video in this article gives you tha chance to join VF-31 Tomcatters aircrews aboard their F-14Ds as they perform a 7-hour mission in the skies over Mosul, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).