1960s VAW-126 was commissioned at NAS Norfolk, Virginia on 1April 1969. Originally nicknamed the "Closeouts", the squadron was equipped with four E2A Hawkeye aircraft and assigned to Attack Carrier Air Wing 17 aboard the
aircraft carrier .
1970s After their first deployment in July 1970, the squadron switched to the E2B. The squadron won the
COMNAVAIRLANT Battle Readiness Efficiency "E" and the CNO Safety "S" Award in 1971. The squadron won the Battle "E" a second time in 1974. In late September 2024, VAW-126 and their E2-Ds departed the US as part of CVW-1 on a scheduled deployment aboard the Following multiple exercises with European militaries, VAW-126 and CVW-1 were ordered to operate in the Red Sea in defense of international shipping lanes and Israel against attacks by the
Houthis, an Iranian proxy in Yemen. VAW126 and CVW1 arrived in the CENTCOM AOR in mid-December 2024, and began combat operations against the Houthis when they arrived in the Red Sea. Airstrikes were undertaken against the Houthis/Iranians for much of the latter half of December 2024 through April 2025. Strikes against the Houthis/Iranian proxy military units in Yemen increased after March 15, 2025, with VAW126 and CVW1 conducting increased sorties on a larger set of enemy targets. ==See also==