Since there were no fleet replacement squadrons at this time, VA-146 started with only a handful of aircraft and began an "in-house" training regime in various models of the F9F Cougar.

The squadron's A-4C Skyhawks were used to provide tanker and rocket-armed escort support for the photo reconnaissance sorties over Laos and South Vietnam.

In response to North Vietnamese torpedo boat attacks against USS Maddox and USS Turner Joy on 2 August 1964, VA-146 participated in Operation Pierce Arrow, retaliatory air strikes against North Vietnamese targets which resulted in the sinking or damaging of 8 torpedo boats, and marked the first use of the A-4 in combat.

In April 1970, the squadron embarked aboard USS America at NS Norfolk for her extended combat deployment to Vietnam, returning in December 1970.

In early 1980, VA-146 was named the safest A-7 squadron in combined Navy-Air Force history by surpassing all previous records for accident-free flight operations at 36,175 hours.

During the 1980 deployment aboard USS Constellation, the squadron spent 110 days at sea, the longest continuous at-sea period for any West Coast carrier since World War II.

In 1983 the squadron was tasked with fleet introduction of the HARM missile system, and their 14-year association with CVW-9 was broken when VA-146 was reassigned to Carrier Air Wing 2.

On 21 July 1989, VA-146 was redesignated Strike Fighter Squadron ONE HUNDRED FORTY SIX (VFA-146), and they received their first F/A-18C Night Attack Hornet on 18 November 1989.

[4] VFA-146 spent the majority of 1997 preparing for a World Cruise aboard Nimitz, and extended their 13-year history of over 55,000 hours without a Class "A" safety mishap.

On 4 September 1997, the squadron departed San Diego with the USS Nimitz Battle Group in support of Operation Southern Watch.

The squadron returned at the end of May 2002 after a stopover in Australia and a Tiger Cruise from Hawaii.VFA-146 began its 27th deployment on board USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) on 15 January 2003.

The squadron reached an incredible milestone of 22 consecutive years with no Class A mishaps, extending their outstanding safety record to more than 92,000 mishap-free flight hours.

The command's attention to detail and tremendous pride were integral to daily operations, and resulted in the Blue Diamonds earning the CVW-9 "Golden Wrench Award" for maintenance excellence during the 2007 deployment.

The Carrier Strike Group Three and CVW-9 team helped reinforce foreign diplomacy and international relations by participating in the Foal Eagle exercise off the coast of Korea.

On their return home, the Blue Diamonds pulled into Hawaii before steaming north to participate in Northern Edge with the United States Air Force off the coast of Alaska.