The Yellow Jackets of VAQ-138 were established in February 1976 as an operational EA-6B Prowler squadron. The squadron began its deployment history aboard USS Saratoga and went on to operate from numerous aircraft carriers throughout the Mediterranean, Western Pacific, and Indian Ocean. During the 1980s, the Yellow Jackets deployed aboard USS Nimitz and supported operations including Prairie Fire and El Dorado Canyon.
Over the following decades, VAQ-138 continued to build an extensive combat record with the EA-6B Prowler. The Yellow Jackets supported operations including Desert Storm, Provide Comfort, Southern Watch, Allied Force, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. Their 2009 deployment marked the squadron's final deployment with the Prowler, ending more than three decades of operations with the aircraft.
VAQ-138 transitioned to the EA-18G Growler in 2010 and subsequently became an expeditionary electronic attack squadron. The Yellow Jackets made their first expeditionary Growler deployment in 2011, supporting operations in Iraq and Kuwait. Today, VAQ-138 operates the EA-18G Growler from NAS Whidbey Island, Washington, deploying worldwide in support of U.S. and allied forces while carrying forward a history of electronic attack service dating to 1976.
