regional crises in the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean. 1980s On 4 January , with VA-37 embarked as part of Carrier Air Wing Three, deployed from Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia for a seven-month cruise that saw USS John F. Kennedy sail to the Arabian Sea via the Mediterranean Sea and Suez Canal. During this time port visits took place in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, and Malaga, Spain. During their time operating in the Arabian Sea, VA-37 and USS John F. Kennedy conducted port visits at Perth, Australia and Mombasa, Kenya, before, in June 1982, taking station off the coast of Lebanon after the Israeli invasion. After leaving the area another port visit took place in Toulon, France, before returning home on 14 July 1982. From 1 October 1982 VA-37 became part of Carrier Air Wing Fifteen (CVW-15) and in January 1983 as part of CVW-15 they embarked on board the then newest Navy carrier, . VA-37 headed to Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Puerto Rico in August 1942 for exercises with the destroyer , which was the test platform for the development of the CG/SM-2 (ER) missile program project. On 1 March VA-37 sailed with CVW-15 and USS Carl Vinson on an eight-month would cruise that saw them operate in the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, South China Sea, and Pacific Ocean in a multitude of exercises and with port visits in Monte Carlo, Monaco, Casablanca, Morocco, Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Perth, Australia, Subic Bay, Philippines, Hong Kong, Sasebo, Japan, Pusan, Republic of Korea, and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, before returning to NAS Cecil Field in Florida on 29 October 1983. In June 1984, the squadron's primary mission was changed to close air support in preparation for its deployment to MCAS Iwakuni as part of the Marine Corps Unit Deployment Program. The deployment of the two Navy attack squadrons was designed to test the interoperability of the Marine Corps and Navy. In December 1984, VA-37 deployed to MCAS Iwakuni and relieved VA-105. While deployed to Iwakuni, the squadron was detached to Yechon, Korea, to participate in exercise Team Spirit 85. This was the first time a Navy carrier-based squadron had deployed in field conditions since World War II. In April 1988, VA-37 deployed with Carrier Air Wing Six (CVW-6) on board to the North Arabian Sea via the Suez Canal in support of Operation Earnest Will. The squadron