The Fighting Checkmates trace their lineage to May 1, 1945, when Bombing Squadron 74 (VB-74), the “Bomb-a-Toms,” was established flying the SBW-4E Helldiver. The squadron was subsequently redesignated VA-1B, VA-24, and VF-24, flying aircraft including the AD Skyraider, F4U Corsair, F9F Panther, FJ-3 Fury, F3H Demon, F-11F Tiger, and F-8 Crusader. In 1959, the squadron became VF-211 and adopted the Checkmates identity.
During the Vietnam War, VF-211 earned the nickname “MiG Killers” after its pilots downed eight enemy aircraft in air-to-air combat. The Checkmates transitioned to the F-14A Tomcat in 1975 and later operated the F-14B before returning to the F-14A. The squadron flew the Tomcat during operations including Desert Storm, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. VF-211 was the last Navy squadron to operate the F-14A Tomcat, completing its final deployment with the aircraft in 2004.
In 2005, VF-211 transitioned to the two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet and was redesignated VFA-211, becoming the first operational East Coast Super Hornet squadron. In 2020, the Fighting Checkmates transitioned from the F/A-18F to the single-seat F/A-18E Super Hornet, which they continue to fly today. The squadron carries forward more than eight decades of Naval Aviation history and the distinctive Checkmates identity.
