The VFA-102 “Diamondbacks” are located at NAS Lemoore, CA and fly the F/A-18 Hornet. They were established in July 1955, and transitioned from the F-4J Phantom to the F-14A Tomcat in July 1981 then to the F-18 Hornet in 2002. During operations against Libya in 1986, they were fired upon by SA-5 SAM Systems. They also participated in Operation Desert Storm. This is the “Plane Captain” patch worn by those who take care of the aircraft.
