support of Operation Enduring Freedom and returned home to NAS Oceana on 18 April 2009. 2010s 2010 was a year of significant accomplishment for the squadron. VFA-87 participated in three embarked periods in preparation for the maiden deployment of , including a deck qualification, Independent Steaming Exercise (ISE), and Tailored Ship's Training Assessment (TSTA). Additionally the "War Party" completed three command detachments; one to NAS Key West for the Air-to-Air Strike Fighter Advanced Readiness Program (SFARP) and two to NAS Fallon for Air-to-Ground SFARP. In May 2011, VFA-87 departed on a deployment aboard USS George H. W. Bush. While deployed the squadron flew combat missions in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and New Dawn flying over Afghanistan and Iraq respectively in support of combat troops on the ground. In 2012 VFA-87 successfully completed four operational detachments, transitioned back to the F/A-18C by transferring 10 F/A-18A+ and accepting 11 F/A-18C aircraft. The squadron made another deployment aboard George H. W. Bush to the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean from February to November 2014. Following this deployemnt, VFA-87 converted to the F/A-18E Super Hornet. Syria VFA-87 made a single deployment aboard USS George H. W. Bush from January to August 2017. During this desployment, Lieutenant Commander Michael Tremel, flying a VFA-87 F/A-18E shot down a Syrian Su-22 after multiple observed ROE violations on 18 June 2017. The Su-22 had been bombing US-backed forces fighting the Islamic State. 2020s After having been assigned to CVW-8 since 1988, VFA-87 was re-assigned to Carrier Air Wing 11 in 2020. The squadron made two deployments aboard to the Western Pacific from January and July 2020 and from December to May 2021. Following these deployments, the squadron returned to CVW-8. In 2021, CVW-8 was re-assigned to . Notable squadron members Dominic L. Pudwill Gorie Timothy J. Keating Patrick Walsh See also Naval aviation United States Naval Aviator Modern US Navy carrier air operations List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons List of United States Navy aircraft designations (pre-1962) / List of US Naval aircraft References External links http://www.public.navy.mil/airfor/vfa87 Strike fighter squadrons of the United States Navy