VF-1, Wolfpack, was established on 14 October 1972 at NAS Miramar, at the same time as VF-2, and these units were the first operational fighter squadrons equipped with the Grumman F-14 Tomcat.

The squadron's insignia was a red wolf's head designed by Grumman Commercial Artist, George M. Kehew, who himself is a World War II combat veteran.

The end of the cruise saw the first Tomcat's combat debut, as VF-1 and VF-2 flew cover over Saigon for the evacuation of US personnel in April 1975 as part of Operation Frequent Wind.

Enterprise and her escort ships were scheduled to transit home after a seven-month deployment, but having just left Mombasa after a port call, were directed to remain in the area and operate off the east African coast for about one week.

The ship's Marine detachment and air wing prepared for a possible mission to rescue and evacuate the Americans, but Amin eventually released all the hostages.

In 1978, Enterprise underwent her ninth Western Pacific deployment, including port calls in Hong Kong, Perth, Australia, and Singapore.

The "Grumman Air Wing" deployed to the Western Pacific/Indian Ocean in July 1987, flying many "Earnest Will" escort missions into the Persian Gulf.

On 19 October 1987, Ranger took part in Operation Nimble Archer, an attack on two Iranian oil platforms in the Persian Gulf by US Navy forces.

On 6 February, VF-1 scored the only kill by an F-14 during the Gulf War when LT Stuart Broce, with squadron commander CDR Ron McElraft as RIO, downed an Iraqi Mi-8 Hip helicopter with an AIM-9M Sidewinder missile while flying aircraft NE-103 (BuNo 162603).

[4][5] At 9 pm EST on 27 February, President Bush declared Kuwait had been liberated and Operation Desert Storm would end at midnight.

In the movie Top Gun, main characters Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise) and Nick "Goose" Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards) served with a fictional version of VF-1 off USS Enterprise (CVN-65); this fictional version of VF1 had the insignia of VAW-110, which was an airborne early warning squadron operating the Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye out of NAS Miramar.