The Jolly Rogers have always displayed some of the most recognizable squadron markings in the world: sinister white skull-and-crossbones on all-black tails, with gold bands wrapped around the tip of the tail fins, and black bands with gold chevrons (known as vagabonds strips from the Crusader days of VF-84) run down the sides of the forward fuselage.

While these are distinctly different squadrons that have no lineal linkage, they all share the same Jolly Roger name, the skull and crossbones insignia and traditions.

The squadron was assigned to Carrier Air Group 10 (CVG-10) and made a short cruise aboard USS Lake Champlain in late 1952.

During the 1958 Mediterranean cruise, British pilots were surprised when VF-103 tore through their formation of Canberras before they even had a chance to start their simulated attack.

During a long range night intercept by VF-74 and VF-103, the 737 was forced to land at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily.

After ejecting from his aircraft, the Radar Intercept Officer, Lieutenant Larry Slade, was captured by Iraqi troops and held in Baghdad as a POW until the end of the war.

The pilot, Lieutenant Devon Jones, was able to evade capture and, after eight hours deep in enemy territory, was rescued by USAF Special Operations Forces.

When they deployed with USS Enterprise in the summer of 1996, VF-103 became the first Tomcat squadron to introduce the LANTIRN targeting pod to operational service.

VF-103 returned to the Persian Gulf for its final Tomcat cruise with USS John F. Kennedy on 10 July 2004 and ten days later the squadron bombed an insurgent position.

The unit participated in Operation Phantom Fury in October 2004 to provide aerial support over Fallujah for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force and Iraqi Army soldiers.

During one mission an F-14 from VF-103 provided laser designation for an AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter's AGM-114 Hellfire missile to destroy a building where insurgents had taken cover.

This operation had never previously been attempted with a Hellfire, but the missile successfully hit the building, neutralizing the enemy fire that the US troops were receiving.

Repairs took a few days on the base as the starboard engine had to be removed and later the crew flew the F-14 back to the John F. Kennedy.

After a last deployment USS John F. Kennedy with CVW-17 and returning to NAS Oceana in December 2004, VF-103 retired their F-14B Tomcats and began transition to the F/A-18F Super Hornet and transfer to Carrier Air Wing Seven (CVW-7).

[7] VFA-103 and the rest of CVW-7 embarked on board USS Dwight D. Eisenhower on 2 January 2010 for a six-month deployment in support of 5th and 6th Fleet operations.

After a successful maintenance and workup cycle, VFA-103 embarked with CVW-7 on board USS Dwight D. Eisenhower on 22 June 2012 for a scheduled nine-month deployment in the 5th Fleet Area of Operations.

In honor of the Jolly Rogers' 70th anniversary, the squadron undertook a redesign of the recognizable skull and crossbones insignia, choosing to feature the original VF-17 patches, colors, and tail fin.

The Jolly Rogers' F/A-18Fs were seen launching from USS Harry Truman in June 2016 participating in Operation Inherent Resolve, striking Daesh targets in Iraq and Syria, with multiple aircraft exhibiting signs of heavy combat, with a number of front fuselages being covered with bomb silhouettes representing munitions being dropped in combat air strikes.

In 2024, the Navy Midshipmen football Team revealed uniforms inspired by the Jolly Rogers will be worn during the annual Army-Navy Game.