[1] The squadron changed their name to "Seahawks" in memory of their commanding officer, CDR Vady Clark, who died suddenly in September 1979.

[1] Upon their return in March 1987, the squadron participated in a variety of exercises including a MISSILEX off Brunswick, Maine and the VACAPES OPAREA, AEGIS support, along with drug interdiction operations.

In June, the Carrier Strike Group assembled for FLEETEX 2-88 and the squadron departed with USS John F. Kennedy in August for its 4th deployment on board.

The squadron, in cooperation with Joint Interagency Task Force, monitored and detected illegal drug suspects in the Caribbean.

Their time was spent in the Mediterranean and Arabian Seas flying over 850 flight hours in support of Operation Southern Watch.

In December 2004, the squadron sent two aircraft from the Persian Gulf to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom for the inauguration of the first democratically elected president.

With over 150 aircraft operating over the devastated Gulf Coast at any given time, rescuing survivors and delivering much-needed supplies, command and control were essential.

The new platform was soon tested in March when the squadron participated in a mini-SFARP (Strike Fighter Advanced Readiness Program) with VFA-106 and VFA-37 at NAS Key West, Florida.

[1] In December 2007 USS Harry S. Truman transited the Suez Canal and began flights in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The next four months included sustained operations over Iraq in support of U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, and coalition personnel on the ground.

In April 2008, increased insurgent activity in Basra, Iraq resulted in the squadron flying additional combat missions to provide command and control to coalition forces securing the city and ultimately defeating the uprising.

Additionally, with a CEC-equipped cruiser or destroyer patrolling the northern Persian Gulf and acting as a relay node, the squadron was able to provide back to the strike group commander on Harry S. Truman in the central Persian Gulf a Single Integrated Air Picture (SIAP) extending as far north as Baghdad, Iraq.

After departing Marseilles, the squadron hosted and Harry S. Truman welcomed French Navy E-2C Hawkeyes for a day of carrier launch and recovery operations.

[1] VAW-126 completed a 2013-2014 Operation Enduring Freedom cruise with Carrier Air Wing 3 aboard USS Harry S. Truman flying the E-2C Nav Upgrade variant of the Hawkeye.