VFA 106 was originally established as Fighter-Bomber Squadron 17 in January 1945. After numerous deployments and an involvement in the catastrophic fire aboard USS Forrestal in July 1967, which destroyed or damaged over half of the squadron's aircraft, VFA 106 was disestablished in November 1969.
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In April 1984, VFA 106 was once again established, this time at NAS Cecil Field as the East Coast Fleet Replacement Squadron for the F/A-18 Hornet.
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The Gladiators achieved numerous squadron milestones. Among those milestones were surpassing 25,000 accident free flight hours. They were also awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for sustained superior performance and was selected as the Strike Fighter Wing, U.S. Atlantic Fleet Maintenance Department of the Year.
