In the spring, a ten-plane detachment from the squadron was sent to Barking Sands at the northern tip of Kauai to patrol against possible Japanese raids.

[5] VMF-224 aircraft catapulted from the Long Island on 30 August 1942 arriving at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal in the middle of a Japanese air raid.

Throughout the struggle for Okinawa, the Bengals flew infantry support and counter air missions accounting for an additional fifty-five enemy aircraft being destroyed.

In October 1966, VMA-224 was disbanded at Chu Lai and the squadron flag was sent to MCAS Cherry Point as it prepared for new personnel and equipment during its transition to a new airframe.

From 16 January, to 28 February 1991, the Bengals participated in Operation Desert Storm, expending more than 2.3 million pounds of ordnance during 422 combat sorties.

Less than a year later on 5 March 1993, the squadron was re-designated VMFA(AW)-224 and moved to MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina where the Bengals received the multi-mission F/A-18D Hornet.

On 11 January 2005, VMFA(AW)-224 deployed to Al Asad Airbase, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).

On 7 May 2021, VMFA(AW)-224 deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia for Dynamic Force Employment (DFE) in support of withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and Operation Inherent Resolve.

[12] On 12 March 2010 an F/A-18D Hornet from the squadron crashed 35 miles (56 km) off the coast of Saint Helena Sound north of Beaufort due to an engine fire.