Lineage
  01Dec1942  established  VMF-311 (Marine Fighting Squadron)
    Jul1948  redesignated VMF-311 (Marine Fighter Squadron)
  01Jun1957  redesignated VMA-311 (Marine Attack Squadron)
  31Aug1974  disbanded and the designation was transferred to VMA-324
  01Sep1974  reformed     VMA-311 (Marine Attack Squadron)
                          VMA-324's aircraft, personnel, and records were changed to VMA-311
  15Oct2020  deactivated
  14Apr2023  reactivated  VMFA-311 (Marine Fighter Attack Squadron)

Nickname
  01Dec1942 -      1948 Hell's Belles
       1948 -   Mar1957 Willy Lovers
    Mar1957 - 15Oct2020 Tomcats
  14Apr2023 - present   Tomcats

Aircraft Carrier Deployments
  VMA-311       13Apr1961 - 03Jun1961  A4D-2  CVA-41  CVG-2  WL-8xx  WestPac

Shore Based Deployments
  VMA-311       18Mar1961 - 30Mar1962  A4D-2       MAG-12/MCAS Iwakuni, Japan
  VMA-311       01Apr1965 - 07May1965  A-4E        MAG-12/MCAS Iwakuni, Japan
  VMA-311       07May1965 - 15Dec1965  A-4E        MAG-12/Chu-Lai, South Vietnam
  VMA-311       15Dec1965 - 14Feb1966  A-4C        MAG-15/MCAS Iwakuni, Japan
  VMA-311       14Feb1966 - 01Mar1967  A-4E        MAG-12/Chu-Lai, South Vietnam
  VMA-311       01Mar1967 - 03Jun1967  A-4C        MAG-15/MCAS Iwakuni, Japan
  VMA-311       03Jun1967 -   Feb1970  A-4E        MAG-12/Chu-Lai, South Vietnam
  VMA-311         Feb1970 - 17May1971  A-4E        MAG-11/Da-Nang, South Vietnam
  VMA-311       17May1971 - 19May1972  A-4E        MAG-12/MCAS Iwakuni, Japan
  VMA-311       19May1972 - 30Jan1973  A-4E        MAG-12/Vien-Hoa, South Vietnam
  VMA-311       30Jan1973 - 16Aug1974  A-4E        MAG-15/MCAS Iwakuni, Japan
  VMA-311         Jul1978 -   Jun1979  A-4M/TA-4F  MAG-12/MCAS Iwakuni, Japan
  VMA-311         Jun1983 -   Dec1983  A-4M        MAG-12/MCAS Iwakuni, Japan
  VMA-311         Jun1986 -   Dec1986  A-4M        MAG-12/MCAS Iwakuni, Japan
  VMA-311         Dec1987 -   Jun1988  A-4M        MAG-12/MCAS Iwakuni, Japan
  VMA-311         May1994 -   Nov1994  AV-8B       MAG-12/MCAS Iwakuni, Japan
  VMA-311DET.     May1996 -   Sep1999  AV-8B       MAG-36/NAF Kadena, Japan
  VMA-311DET.     Jul2001 -   Jan2002  AV-8B       MAG-12/MCAS Iwakuni, Japan
  VMA-311       09Nov2004 -   May2005  AV-8B       AL ASAD, Iraq
  VMA-311DET.     May2005 -   Dec2005  AV-8B       MAG-12/MCAS Iwakuni, Japan
  VMA-311DET.B    Jul2006 -   Jan2007  AV-8B       MAG-12/MCAS Iwakuni, Japan
  VMA-311         Jan2007 -   May2007  AV-8B       AL ASAD, Iraq
  VMA-311         Mar2008 -   Oct2008  AV-8B       AL ASAD, Iraq
  VMA-311DET.     Jan2010 -   Jul2010  AV-8B       MAG-12/MCAS Iwakuni, Japan
  VMA-311DET.     Dec2011 -   Jun2012  AV-8B       MAG-12/MCAS Iwakuni, Japan
  VMA-311         Apr2013 -   Oct2013  AV-8B       Camp Bastion, Afghanistan
  VMA-311DET.     May2015 -   Nov2015  AV-8B       MAG-12/MCAS Iwakuni, Japan
  VMA-311DET.     Jan2017 -      2017  AV-8B       MAG-12/MCAS Iwakuni, Japan
  VMA-311         Apr2019 -   Oct2019  AV-8B       Kuwait/SPMAGTF-CR-CC

Amphibious Deployments
  VMA-311DET.   06Jan1992 - 06Jul1992  AV-8B  HMM-166  13MEU  LPH-3  WestPac, Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf
  VMA-311DET.   11Jan1993 - 25Mar1993  AV-8B  HMH-361  31MEU  LHA-3  WestPac
  VMA-311DET.   05Jul1994 - 05Aug1994  AV-8B  HMM-262  31MEU  LHA-3  WestPac
  VMA-311DET.   05OCt1994 - 10Nov1994  AV-8B  HMM-262  31MEU  LHA-3  WestPac
  VMA-311DET.A  13Nov1995 -   May1996  AV-8B  HMM-268  15MEU  LHA-5  WestPac, Persian Gulf
  VMA-311DET.   10May1996 - 23Aug1996  AV-8B  HMM-265  31MEU  LHA-3  WestPac
  VMA-311DET.   14Jan1998 - 12Jun1998  AV-8B  HMM-262  31MEU  LHA-3  WestPac
  VMA-311DET.   20Oct1998 - 18Mar1999  AV-8B  HMM-265  31MEU  LHA-3  WestPac, Persian Gulf
  VMA-311DET.   02Oct2001 - 21Nov2001  AV-8B  HMM-265  31MEU  LHD-2  WestPac
  VMA-311DET.   13Aug2001 - 04Mar2002  AV-8B  HMM-163  15MEU  LHA-5  WestPac, North Arabian Sea
  VMA-311DET.   02Oct2001 - 21Nov2001  AV-8B  HMM-265  31MEU  LHD-2  WestPac
  VMA-311DET.     Jun2002 -   Jul2002  AV-8B  HMM-161  15MEU  LHA-1  RIMPAC'02
  VMA-311DET.A  06Jan2003 - 13Jul2003  AV-8B  HMM-161  15MEU  LHA-1  WestPac, Persian Gulf
  VMA-311       17Jan2003 - 26Jul2003  AV-8B           1MEF   LHD-6  WestPac, Persian Gulf
  VMA-311DET.     Oct2005 - 21Nov2005  AV-8B  HMM-262  31MEU  LHD-2  WestPac
  VMA-311DET.A  13Sep2006 - 31May2007  AV-8B  HMM-165  15MEU  LHD-4  WestPac, Persian Gulf
  VMA-311DET.B  19Oct2006 - 01Dec2006  AV-8B  HMM-265  31MEU  LHD-2  WestPac
  VMA-311DET.   04May2008 - 04Nov2008  AV-8B  HMM-165  15MEU  LHA-5  WestPac, Persian Gulf, Red Sea
  VMA-311DET.   20Jan2010 - 29Mar2010  AV-8B  HMM-265  31MEU  LHD-2  WestPac
  VMA-311DET.   22May2010 - 18Dec2010  AV-8B  HMM-165  15MEU  LHA-5  U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet AOO
  VMA-311DET.   27Feb2012 - 09Apr2012  AV-8B  HMM-265  31MEU  LHD-2  WestPac
  VMA-311DET.   17Sep2012 - 14May2013  AV-8B  HMM-364  15MEU  LHA-5  U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet AOO
  VMA-311DET.   11May2015 - 15Dec2015  AV-8B  VMM-161  15MEU  LHD-2  U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet AOO
  VMA-311DET.   06Jun2015 - 28Aug2015  AV-8B  VMM-265  31MEU  LHD-6  WestPac
  VMA-311DET.   14Oct2016 - 15May2017  AV-8B  VMM-163  11MEU  LHD-8  U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet AOO