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{{Use American English|date=February 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = Strike Fighter Squadron 31
| image = VFA-31 Emblem.svg
| caption = VFA-31 insignia
| dates = 1 July 1935 - Present
| allegiance = {{USA}}
| branch = {{navy|USA}}
| type = Fighter/Attack
| role = [[Close air support]]<br>[[Air interdiction]]<br>[[Aerial reconnaissance]]
| size = 
| command_structure = {{nowrap|[[File:CVW-8 Emblem.svg|30px|]][[Carrier Air Wing Eight]]}}
| garrison = {{nowrap|[[File:NAS Oceana Emblem.svg|30px|]][[NAS Oceana]]}}
| current_commander = CDR Jordan A. Mayo
| ceremonial_chief = 
| colonel_of_the_regiment = 
| nickname = ''"Tomcatters"''
| patron = 
| motto = ''We Get Ours at Night''
| colors = Yellow and Black
| march = 
| mascot = [[Felix the Cat]]
| battles = [[World War II]]<br>[[Korean War]]<br>[[Six-Day War]]<br>[[Vietnam War]]<br>[[Multinational Force in Lebanon]]<br>[[Operation Southern Watch]]<br> *[[1996 cruise missile strikes on Iraq|Operation Desert Strike]]<br>[[Iraq War]]<br>[[Operation Enduring Freedom]]<br>[[Operation Inherent Resolve]]
| anniversaries = 
| aircraft_fighter = [[Grumman F3F|F3F]]<br>[[Grumman F4F Wildcat|F4F Wildcat]]<br>[[Grumman F6F Hellcat|F6F Hellcat]]<br>[[Grumman F8F Bearcat|F8F Bearcat]]<br>[[Grumman F9F Panther|F9F Panther]]<br>[[McDonnell F2H Banshee|F2H Banshee]]<br> [[McDonnell F3H Demon|F3H Demon]]<br>[[McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II|F-4 Phantom II]]<br>[[Grumman F-14 Tomcat|F-14 Tomcat]]<br>[[Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet|F/A-18E Super Hornet]]
}}
'''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 the Cat]]" squadron was [[VF-6|VF-3]]. After the [[Battle of Midway]], VF-3 and VF-6 swapped designations on 15 July 1943, resulting in a three-year controversy as to which squadron owned the Felix name and emblem until VF-3 was re-designated VF-3A on 15 November 1946, and awarded the official approval to adopt Felix the Cat by the [[Chief of Naval Operations]] (CNO). VF-3A was then re-designated VF-31 on 7 August 1948.

The emblem and [[mascot]] is the famous cartoon character Felix the Cat, running with a large spherical black bomb with a lit fuse.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/why-we-picture-bombs-as-round-black-balls-with-a-burning-wick|title=Why We Picture Bombs As Round Black Balls with a Burning Wick|date=21 January 2016}}</ref>  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".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq6-1.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000526122918/http://history.navy.mil/faqs/faq6-1.htm |archive-date=2000-05-26 |title=Naval Aviation Squadron Lineages}}</ref>

===Early years===
[[File:VF-6 Grumman F3F-2 6-F-7 BuNo 0986 side (Wagner Coll.).jpg|thumb|right|VF-6 [[Grumman F3F|F3F-2 in the late 1930s.]]]]
VFA-31, was originally established as VF-1B on 1 July 1935, flying the [[Boeing F4B|F4B]], making it the second oldest active US Navy squadron behind [[VFA-14]], which was originally established in 1919.

On 1 July 1937, the squadron combined with VF-8B and was redesignated VF-6, flying the [[Grumman F3F|F3F]]. Between the years 1937 and 1943 VF-6 flew the F3F-1 and two variants of the [[Grumman F4F Wildcat|F4F Wildcat]] and ended with the F4F-4.

On 15 July 1943, VF-6 swapped designations with [[VF-6|VF-3]] and began flying the [[Grumman F6F Hellcat|F6F Hellcat]].

[[File:F4F-3 of VF-6 taking off from USS Enterprise (CV-6) 1942.jpg|thumb|A VF-6 F4F-3 aboard {{USS|Enterprise|CV-6|6}}, March 1942.]]

Through the years the squadron and their predecessors have served on many of the Navy's early aircraft carriers, including the first, {{USS|Langley|CV-1|6}}; the second, {{USS|Lexington|CV-2|6}}; and the sixth, {{USS|Enterprise|CV-6|6}}. They were aboard ''Enterprise'' during the [[Attack on Pearl Harbor]] as well as the battles of [[Battle of Wake Island|Wake Island]], [[Minami-Tori-shima|Marcus Island]], [[Battle of Midway|Midway]], [[Guadalcanal Campaign|Guadalcanal]], and the [[Solomon Islands campaign|Eastern Solomon Islands]]. The squadron also saw aerial combat over the [[Philippines]], [[Formosa]], [[Battle of Okinawa|Okinawa]], and [[China]].

On 7 August 1948, VF-3A was redesignated VF-31. For almost four years, the squadron flew the [[Grumman F9F Panther|F9F Panther]], the squadron's first jet aircraft.

===1950s===
In 1952, the squadron transitioned to the [[McDonnell F2H Banshee|F2H Banshee]], and then switched to the [[McDonnell F3H Demon|F3H Demon]] in 1957, flying it through 1962.

===1960s===
[[File:F3H-2N Demon of VF-31 in flight over Naval Station Mayport 1957.jpg|thumb|VF-31 F3H-2N Demon in 1957.]]
VF-31 transitioned to the [[McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II|F-4 Phantom II]] in 1964, flying the B model for two years before transitioning to the F-4J.

===1970s===
In 1972, squadron aircraft shot down a [[MiG-21]] over [[North Vietnam]] with a F-4J Phantom 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]]{{citation needed|date=August 2017}}.

===1980s===
[[File:F-4J Phantom II fo VF-31 in flight c1978.jpg|thumb|VF-31 [[McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II|F-4J]] in 1978.]]
In 1980, VF-31 and {{USS|Saratoga|CV-60|6}} concluded a 24-year period of continuous service together, the longest in US naval history.

VF-31 received the [[Grumman F-14 Tomcat|F-14A Tomcat]] in early 1981.  The squadron's first cruise was on board {{USS|John F. Kennedy|CV-67|6}}. 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 [[Lebanon|Lebanese]] and [[Syria]]n positions in support of [[Multinational Force in Lebanon|multi-national peacekeeping operations]], often being fired at by Syrian [[Anti-aircraft warfare|AAA]]. During a mission in early December 1983, heat-seeking [[SA-7]] [[Surface-to-air missile|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 4 December, both carriers in the Mediterranean Sea, ''Kennedy'' and {{USS|Independence|CV-62|6}}, launched strikes against Syrian SAM sites, losing one [[LTV A-7 Corsair II|A-7 Corsair II]] and one [[Grumman A-6 Intruder|A-6 Intruder]].

VF-31 shifted carriers and air wings in April 1985 joining {{USS|Forrestal|CV-59|6}} 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 NAS Oceana.

===1990s===
VF-31 stayed with ''Forrestal'' until 1992, when the squadron switched carriers, planes and home bases.  VF-31 (and VF-11) moved from NAS Oceana to [[NAS Miramar]] and to {{USS|Carl Vinson|CVN-70|6}}, 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'', flying missions in the Persian Gulf and over southern Iraq in support of Operations [[Operation Southern Watch|Southern Watch]] and [[Cruise missile strikes on Iraq (1996)|Desert Strike]].

VF-31 moved back to NAS Oceana in 1997. The squadron sent a single F-14D and crew to the 1997 [[Paris Air Show]], primarily to promote new F-14 [[LANTIRN]].

In 1998 the squadron made a deployment to the Persian Gulf with {{USS|Abraham Lincoln|CVN-72|6}} supporting Operation Southern Watch.

===2000s===
2000 began with a WESTPAC deployment on board USS ''Abraham 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 NAS Oceana on 2 May 2003. The squadron flew 585 sorties, dropping 276 [[Laser-guided bomb|LGB]]/[[JDAM]]/[[Mark 82 bomb|MK 82]].

In 2004, VF-31 and CVW-14 embarked on {{USS|John C. Stennis|CVN-74|6}} for a WESTPAC cruise, returning to the US on 31 October 2004.

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|6}}.

[[File:F-14D Tomcats of VF-31 take off from NAS Oceana in 2006.jpeg|thumb|VF-31 F-14Ds in 2006.]]

In September 2005, the squadron deployed aboard USS ''Theodore Roosevelt'' with CVW-8 for the final F-14 deployment, again to the Persian Gulf. 7 February 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 10 March 2006, for the final F-14 fly-in.

VF-31 remained operational aboard ''Theodore Roosevelt'' until 28 July 2006, when the last Tomcat landing 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 4 October 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 static display outside of the former [[Grumman Aerospace Corporation]] headquarters in Bethpage, NY.

VF-31 transitioned to [[Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet|F/A-18E Super Hornet]] and was redesignated VFA-31 in 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 21 July – 31 July 2008. The British carrier {{HMS|Ark Royal|R07|6}}, the amphibious assault ship {{USS|Iwo Jima|LHD-7|6}} with associated units and the [[Brazilian Navy]] frigate [[HMS Broadsword (F88)|''Greenhalgh'']] and the French submarine {{ship|French submarine|Améthyste|S 605|2}} also participated in the event.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=38478|title=JTFEX 08-4|first=This story was written by Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet Public|last=Affairs}}</ref>

On 8 September 2008, VFA-31 and the rest of CVW-8 deployed on board USS ''Theodore Roosevelt'' on a regularly scheduled deployment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=39754|title=USS Theodore Roosevelt Deploys in Support of Maritime Security Operations|first=This story was written by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Monique Hilley, USS ''Theodore Roosevelt'' Public|last=Affairs}}</ref> On 4 October, the ''Theodore 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=40215|title=TR Completes South African Port Visit|first=This story was written by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (AW/SW) Monique K. Hilley, USS ''Theodore Roosevelt'' Public|last=Affairs}}</ref> 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 [[International Security Assistance Force|ISAF]]-forces in Afghanistan.

===2010s===
[[File:VFA-31 FA-18E landing.jpg|thumb|VFA-31 F/A-18E makes an arrested landing]]
On 11 May 2011, the squadrons of CVW-8 embarked on {{USS|George H.W. Bush|CVN-77|6}}'s maiden deployment, to conduct operations in the US [[United States Fifth Fleet|5th]] and [[United States Sixth Fleet|6th]] Fleet areas of operations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=60257|title=George H.W. Bush Strike Group to Deploy|first=This story was written by Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet Public|last=Affairs}}</ref> returning to NAS Oceana in December, 2011, days before the return of USS ''George H.W. Bush''.  VFA-31 flew extensive ground attack missions in Operation Inherent Resolve against IS targets in Syria, and peacefully intercepted MiG 29s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.funker530.com/terrifying-isis/|title=The Operation Inherent Resolve Video That Is Terrifying ISIS|date=22 September 2017}}</ref>

==Awards==
During its long history, the squadron has received the Commander Naval Air Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet [[Battle Effectiveness Award]] for the best fighter squadron in the Atlantic Fleet, the Admiral [[Joseph C. Clifton]] Award for the top fighter squadron in the Navy, the [[C. Wade McClusky#Namesakes|Wade McClusky Award]] as most outstanding 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 (United States)|Presidential Unit Citation]] for excellence in combat during deployment to Vietnam in 1972–1973.

==See also==
*[[Naval aviation]]
*[[Modern US Navy carrier air operations]]
*[[List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons]]
*[[List of Inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.vf31.com VF-31 in WW II (1943–1945)]
*[http://www.public.navy.mil/AIRFOR/vfa31/Pages/default.aspx Official VF-31 Web Site]
*[http://www.tomcatalley.com/squadron/vf31hist.htm VF-31 History]
*[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/navy/vf-31.htm Fighter Squadron THREE ONE (VF-31) Tomcatters]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20061122195405/http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=22325 TR Traps Last Tomcat from Combat Mission]
*[http://www.fencecheck.com/magazine/articles/09_01_06_tomcat_tr.php Last Cats Standing, Fence Check Aviation Photography]
*Tony Holmes (2005). ''US Navy F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom'', Osprey Publishing Limited.
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060426164828/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,187521,00.html U.S. Navy Retires 'Top Gun' Jets]
*[http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1193058/L/ VFA-31 Tomcatters F/A-18E (AJ-110)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071219145503/http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=24370  Tomcat Squadron Earns Arleigh Burke Award]
*[https://www.flickr.com/photos/timmeh_2/sets/72157600045407370/ Timmeh!'s VFA-31 Tomcatters pictures]
*[http://www.public.navy.mil/airfor/vfa31/Pages/default.aspx/ VFA-31 STRIKE FIGHTER SQUADRON THREE ONE Official Website]

===Video clips===
*{{YouTube|VKbHxVR6pbM|A candid music video recorded by VF-31's F-14 pilot tanking for the last time with a KC-135, titled "Boom Operator"}}, recorded 7 February 2006 and accessed 1 February 2009.

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{{United States Navy Aircraft Squadrons}}

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[[Category:Strike fighter squadrons of the United States Navy|VFA-031]]