Flying the Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber, the squadron participated in Operation Leader, the only American naval air strike against German forces in Norway.

In November 1944, the squadron transferred to the Pacific Fleet, and participated in the Leyte Campaign while attached to USS Bunker Hill.

In June 1966, after moving to NAS Oceana, the squadron deployed to the South China Sea to conduct air strikes and support missions against military targets in North Vietnam.

When Franklin D. Roosevelt entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for modernization, CVW-1 and VF-14 were reassigned to USS John F. Kennedy in 1969 and stayed with it for nine deployments until 1982.

The achievements that contributed to the awards included 3 missile firing exercises with a 100% kill ratio, first East Coast TCS installations and 26,500 accident free flying hours over the space of 8 years.

In early December 1983, the Tophatters were again called upon to provide combat air support for the elements of the multi-national forces in Beirut.

On 1 April 1985, the squadron returned to John F. Kennedy, where they spent the rest of the year on a turnaround-training schedule, which included eleven detachments to various parts of the United States and Canada.

The squadron entered 1990 conducting workups for deployment and making portcalls in Portland, Mayport, New York City and Boston.

On 10 August 1990, eight days after the Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait, the squadron was ordered to emergency deploy to the Red Sea aboard John F. Kennedy to take part in Operation Desert Shield.

During the months leading up to the war, the squadron assisted in enforcing the Iraqi embargo flying combat air patrol (CAP) and standing alert duty continuously.

On the morning of 17 January 1991, the squadron once again flew into combat when they joined United Nations forces in the air assault on Iraq.

VF-14 and VF-32 flew CAP and fighter escort missions for CVW-3 strike and support aircraft throughout Desert Storm operating in Western and Central Iraq initially and then conducting long range barrier CAP missions in eastern Iraq near the Iranian border with other Tomcat squadrons from the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf that lasted an unprecedented 7–8 hours.

After low altitude flight training and several strike-related schools, the squadron put their new skills to the test during Air Wing work-ups in Fallon, Nevada.

Once past the Rock of Gibraltar, VF-14 began flying air superiority and reconnaissance missions in the Adriatic Sea in support of UN policies in the former Yugoslavia.

[3]: 53 After their last F-14 cruise VF-14 and VF-41 relocated to NAS Lemoore and began the transition to the F/A-18 Super Hornet switching to CVW-11 and USS Nimitz.

[citation needed] In 2006, VFA-14 made detachments to NAS Fallon and a joint exercise with the Royal Air Force to Scotland.

Training continued through 2006 with a Strike Fighter Advance Readiness Program (SFARP) with a three-week detachment to NAS Fallon.

Training continued into 2007 in preparation for the up-coming GULF/WESTPAC deployment in support of OIF and OEF, and exercise Valiant Shield near Guam.

[7] In early August 2024, the squadron was deployed on the USS Abraham Lincoln in response to heightened tensions between Iran and Israel.