Lineage
  02Feb1951  Reserve squadron VF-921 called to active duty
  04Feb1953  redesignated VF-84
  01Jul1955  redesignated VA-86
  15Jul1987  redesignated VFA-86

Nickname
  02Feb1951 - 30Jun1955  unknown 
  01Jul1955 - present    Sidewinders

Deployments
  VF-921  28Nov1951 - 11Jun1952  F4U-4      CV-40   CVG-8    E-4xx   Med
  VF-921  05Jan1953 -   Feb1953  F9F-5      CVA-36  CVG-8    E-4xx   Caribbean
  VF-84   11Jun1953 - 21Jul1953  F9F-5      CVA-36           E-4xx   NorLant
  VF-84   28Sep1954 - 22Apr1955  F9F-5      CVA-39  CVG-8    E-4xx   Med
  VA-86   24Jan1956 - 31Mar1956  F7U-3M     CVA-59  ATG-181  I-3xx   Shakedown(SoLant)
  VA-86     Jul1958 -   Aug1958  A4D-2      CVA-15  CVG-7    AG-4xx  WestLant
  VA-86   02Sep1958 - 12Mar1959  A4D-2      CVA-15  CVG-7    AG-4xx  Med
  VA-86   23Apr1959 - 01Jul1959  A4D-2      CVA-62  CVG-7    AG-4xx  Shakedown(Guantanamo Bay, Cuba)
  VA-86     Mar1960 -   Apr1960  A4D-2      CVA-62  CVG-7    AG-4xx  WestLant
  VA-86     Jun1960 -   Jul1960  A4D-2      CVA-62  CVG-7    AG-4xx  WestLant
  VA-86   04Aug1960 - 03Mar1961  A4D-2      CVA-62  CVG-7    AG-4xx  Med
  VA-86     Jun1961 -   Jul1961  A4D-2      CVA-62  CVG-7    AG-4xx  Caribbean
  VA-86   04Aug1961 - 19Dec1961  A4D-2      CVA-62  CVG-7    AG-4xx  Med
  VA-86   19Apr1962 - 27Aug1962  A4D-2      CVA-62  CVG-7    AG-4xx  Med
  VA-86   24Oct1962 - 15Nov1962  A-4B/C     CVS-16  CVG-3    AG-4xx  Caribbean
  VA-86     Jun1963 -   Jun1963  A-4C       CVA-62  CVG-7    AG-4xx  WestLant
  VA-86   06Aug1963 - 04Mar1964  A-4C       CVA-62  CVG-7    AG-4xx  Med
  VA-86     Jun1964 -   Jul1964  A-4E       CVA-62  CVW-7    AG-4xx  WestLant
  VA-86   08Sep1964 - 05Nov1964  A-4E       CVA-62  CVW-7    AG-4xx  NorLant, Med
  VA-86   10May1965 - 13Dec1965  A-4E       CVA-62  CVW-7    AG-4xx  Vietnam War
  VA-86   13Jun1966 - 01Feb1967  A-4E       CVA-62  CVW-7    AG-4xx  Med
  VA-86   10Apr1968 - 16Dec1968  A-7A       CVA-66  CVW-6    AE-4xx  Vietnam War
  VA-86   23Sep1969 - 01Jul1970  A-7A       CVA-43  CVW-15   NL-4xx  Vietnam War
  VA-86   06Jul1971 - 16Dec1971  A-7E       CVA-66  CVW-8    AJ-4xx  Med
  VA-86   05Jun1972 - 24Mar1973  A-7C       CVA-66  CVW-8    AJ-4xx  Vietnam War
  VA-86   03Jan1974 - 03Aug1974  A-7C       CVA-66  CVW-8    AJ-4xx  Med
  VA-86   06Sep1974 - 12Oct1974  A-7C       CVA-66  CVW-8    AJ-4xx  NATO Exercise "Northern Merger"
  VA-86   16Jul1975 - 24Sep1975  A-7E       CVN-68  CVW-8    AJ-4xx  Guantanamo Bay, NorLant
  VA-86   07Jul1976 - 07Feb1977  A-7E       CVN-68  CVW-8    AJ-4xx  Med
  VA-86     Sep1977 -   Oct1977  A-7E       CVN-68  CVW-8    AJ-4xx  WestLant
  VA-86   01Dec1977 - 20Jul1978  A-7E       CVN-68  CVW-8    AJ-4xx  Med
  VA-86   10Sep1979 - 26May1980  A-7E       CVN-68  CVW-8    AJ-4xx  Med, Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea
  VA-86   29Aug1980 - 17Oct1980  A-7E       CVN-68  CVW-8    AJ-4xx  Teamwork '80
  VA-86     Jun1981 -   Jul1981  A-7E       CVN-68  CVW-8    AJ-4xx  Caribbean
  VA-86   03Aug1981 - 12Feb1982  A-7E       CVN-68  CVW-8    AJ-4xx  Med
  VA-86   10Nov1982 - 20May1983  A-7E       CVN-68  CVW-8    AJ-4xx  Med
  VA-86     Oct1984 -   Nov1984  A-7E       CVN-68  CVW-8    AJ-4xx  WestLant
  VA-86   08Mar1985 - 04Oct1985  A-7E       CVN-68  CVW-8    AJ-4xx  Caribbean, EastLant, Med
  VA-86   15Aug1986 - 16Oct1986  A-7E       CVN-68  CVW-8    AJ-4xx  NorLant
  VA-86   30Dec1986 - 02Jul1987  A-7E       CVN-68  CVW-8    AJ-4xx  East Coast to West Coast
  VFA-86  21Mar1988 - 08May1988  FA-18C     CV-66   CVW-1    AB-4xx  SoLant
  VFA-86  08Feb1989 - 03Apr1989  FA-18C     CV-66   CVW-1    AB-4xx  NorLant
  VFA-86  11May1989 - 10Nov1989  FA-18C     CV-66   CVW-1    AB-4xx  Med, Indian Ocean
  VFA-86  28Dec1990 - 18Apr1991  FA-18C     CV-66   CVW-1    AB-4xx  Arabian Gulf
  VFA-86  21Aug1991 - 11Oct1991  FA-18C     CV-66   CVW-1    AB-4xx  NorLant
  VFA-86  02Dec1991 - 06Jun1992  FA-18C     CV-66   CVW-1    AB-4xx  Med
  VFA-86  11Aug1993 - 05Feb1994  FA-18C     CV-66   CVW-1    AB-4xx  Med
  VFA-86  28Aug1995 - 24Feb1996  FA-18C     CV-66   CVW-1    AB-4xx  Med, Persian Gulf
  VFA-86  03Oct1997 - 03Apr1998  FA-18C     CVN-73  CVW-1    AB-4xx  Med, Persian Gulf
  VFA-86  02Nov1998 - 17Dec1998  FA-18C     CVN-75  CVW-1    AB-4xx  Puerto Rican Operating Area
  VFA-86  22Sep1999 - 19Mar2000  FA-18C     CV-67   CVW-1    AB-4xx  Med, Persian Gulf
  VFA-86  19Sep2001 - 27Mar2002  FA-18C     CVN-71  CVW-1    AB-4xx  Med, Northern Arabian Sea
  VFA-86  29Aug2003 - 29Feb2004  FA-18C     CVN-65  CVW-1    AB-4xx  WestLant, Gulf of Mexico, Med, Persian Gulf
  VFA-86  03Jun2004 - 23Jul2004  FA-18C     CVN-65  CVW-1    AB-4xx  EastLant, NorLant
  VFA-86  02May2006 - 18Nov2006  FA-18C(N)  CVN-65  CVW-1    AB-4xx  Med, Mid-East, WestPac
  VFA-86  07Jul2007 - 19Dec2007  FA-18C(N)  CVN-65  CVW-1    AB-4xx  Med, Mid-East
  VFA-86  31Jul2009 - 26Mar2010  FA-18C(N)  CVN-68  CVW-11   NH-4xx  WestPac, North Arabian Sea
  VFA-86  13Jun2014 - 10Aug2014  FA-18E     CVN-76  CVW-2    NE-3xx  RIMPAC
  VFA-86  01Jun2016 - 30Dec2016  FA-18E     CVN-69  CVW-3    AC-2xx  5th and 6th Fleet AOO
  VFA-86  01Apr2019 - 20Jan2020  FA-18E     CVN-72  CVW-7    AG-3xx  Norfolk to San Diego
  VFA-86  10Aug2022 - 23Apr2023  FA-18E     CVN-77  CVW-7    AG-3xx  Med