The word tailhook refers to the hook underneath the tail of the aircraft that catches the arresting wire suspended across the flight deck in order to stop the landing plane quickly.

The Tailhook Association was formed by active-duty naval aviators in 1956, eventually growing into a national organization headquartered in San Diego, California.

During the Vietnam War, the annual Tailhook reunion and symposium also served to provide opportunities for aircrews from the Pacific and Atlantic Fleets to exchange information about events in Southeast Asia.

TEF is a separate non-profit that works closely with, and in support of, the Tailhook Association, providing over 100 scholarships per year to Naval Aviation legacies.

In September 1991, the 35th annual symposium in Las Vegas featured a two-day debriefing on Navy and Marine Corps aviation in Operation Desert Storm.