Official VAQ-139 40th Anniversary Patch

Official VAQ-139 40th Anniversary Patch — Celebrating Four Decades of the Cougars

From the Prowler to the Growler, from the Mediterranean to the Pacific — forty years of Cougar excellence.

Electronic Attack Squadron 139 (VAQ-139) — the 'Cougars' — marked their 40th anniversary in 2023, celebrating four decades of continuous service as one of the U.S. Navy's premier electronic attack squadrons. The Cougars stood up at NAS Whidbey Island on July 1, 1983, and immediately began setting the standard — winning the Battle Readiness Competition in their first year and deploying aboard USS Constellation in 1985. The squadron was among the first American forces to respond to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait during Desert Shield, flew the first active electronic jamming missions since the 1986 Libya strikes during convoy escorts through the Straits of Hormuz, deployed to the Persian Gulf six times aboard carriers including USS Independence, USS Carl Vinson, and USS Abraham Lincoln, and flew combat over Iraq and Afghanistan in support of Operations Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom. The Cougars pioneered the ICAP-III Prowler, conducted the first AIM-120 AMRAAM live fire from a Growler, deployed on the longest carrier deployment since Vietnam aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt, and most recently completed an eight-month deployment aboard USS Nimitz with CVW-17 in 2025. This 40th anniversary patch celebrates the full history of one of electronic warfare's most decorated squadrons.

Perfect For: VAQ-139 Cougars aircrew and maintainers past and present, electronic attack community veterans, NAS Whidbey Island personnel, and anyone who has served with the Cougars over their four decades of service.