The ‘Pukin Dogs’ of VFA-143 began existance as VF-871, a Reserve squadron activated for the Korean War in July 1950. They flew F-4J Phantoms until 1974 when they transitioned to the F-14A Tomcat, then transitioned to the F/A-18F in 2005. They made their first Tomcat cruise aboard the USS America (CV-66) in April 1976. This is their new black-bordered Hornet “transition from” Tomcat patch.
