Official VAQ-139 Cougars Name Tag Collection - Electronic Attack Squadron 139 (VAQ-139) EA-18G Growler Embroidered Name Tag Patch Set, NAS Whidbey Island.
Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum — the Cougars fly, jam, and suppress so the strike package gets through.
VAQ-139 became operational on 1 July 1983 at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, initially flying the ICAP EA-6B Prowler under the motto that translates as If you want peace, prepare for war. The squadron built a reputation for tactical innovation early, becoming the first unit to fly the ICAP III Prowler in combat during February 2006 and earning the 2010 Association of the Old Crows Award for Electronic Attack Excellence after providing around-the-clock electronic warfare support during Operation New Dawn and Operation Enduring Freedom. After a 2011 deployment aboard USS Ronald Reagan, the Cougars transitioned to the EA-18G Growler, the Navy's most advanced airborne electronic attack platform and a variant of the combat-proven F/A-18F Super Hornet. Today VAQ-139 is assigned to Carrier Air Wing Seventeen and deploys aboard USS Nimitz, most recently completing an eight-month mission across U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet areas of operations that included joint exercises with partner nations, coordination with U.S. Air Force assets, and support to Operation Inherent Resolve. A name tag collection tied to this squadron carries more than a callsign — it carries four decades of electronic warfare history, carrier deployments, and the identity of crews who keep the electromagnetic spectrum clear for everyone flying the mission.
Perfect For: VAQ-139 Cougars veterans and active aircrew, EA-18G Growler enthusiasts, Carrier Air Wing Seventeen alumni, NAS Whidbey Island community members, Navy electronic attack collectors, deployment reunion gifts, flight suit and squadron jacket displays, shadow boxes, patch boards, and anyone preserving the story of carrier-based electronic warfare from the Prowler era through the Growler transition. The name tag format also makes this collection a natural fit for maintainers, aircrew families, and supporters who want a personal, flight-line-authentic piece of Cougars identity rather than a generic squadron souvenir.
Cougars heritage, stitched into every name tag — forty years of electronic attack, one collection.
