VFA-87
| Strike Fighter Squadron 87 (VFA-87) | |
|---|---|
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|
| Active | 1 February 1968 - present |
| Country |
 United States of America
|
| 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(s) | Golden Warriors |
| Motto(s) | “War Party Rocks!!!” |
| Colors | |
| Mascot(s) | Native American Warrior |
| Engagements |
Vietnam War Operation Urgent Fury Operation Desert Storm Operation Allied Force Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom Operation New Dawn Operation Inherent Resolve |
| Website | http://www.vfa87.navy.mil/ |
| Commanders | |
| Commanding Officer | CDR Shane T. Marchesi, USN |
| Executive Officer | CDR Joseph Capalbo, USN |
| Command Master Chief | CMDCM (AW/SW) Justin Geigley, USN |
| Notable commanders |
|
| Insignia | |
| Call Sign | War Party |
| Tail Code | AJ |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | A-7 Corsair (1968 - 1986) |
| Fighter |
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet (1986-2015) Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet (2015-present) |
Timothy J. Keating Patrick Walsh
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet (1986-2015)
The Strike Fighter Squadron 87 (VFA-87) is a United States Navy strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Oceana. Nicknamed the Golden Warriors, its call sign is War Party (or simply Party), its tail code is AJ, and it flies the Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet. The squadron was established in 1968 and has seen combat during the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Allied Force, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn and Operation Inherent Resolve.
The squadron’s insignia and nickname were approved by CNO on 29 July 1968 and have remained essentially unchanged.
In June 1968, the squadron was established as VA-87, an attack aircraft squadron and the first fleet squadron to fly the LTV A-7 Corsair II, at NAS Cecil Field, Florida. In March 1969, the squadron flew its first combat missions from the USS Ticonderoga, striking targets in South Vietnam. In April 1969 following the shoot down of a Navy EC-121 Constellation aircraft by the North Koreans, Ticonderoga, with VA-87 embarked, was ordered to the Sea of Japan.
In the 1970s, VA-87 made 12 deployments aboard three different carriers—the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt, the USS America and the USS Independence.
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Wikipedia