For more than 32 year in service, a chapter in naval aviation history drew to a close Feb. 8 aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) with the last recovery of an F-14 Tomcat from a combat mission. Piloted by Capt. William G. Sizemore, VF-213 Tomcat Modex 204 was trapped at 12:35 a.m. and marked one of the final stages of the Navy’s transition from the F-14 Tomcat to F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet.

Lt. Bill Frank, a VF-31 pilot, also took part in the last mission, and is credited with being the last pilot to ever drop a bomb from an F-14 Tomcat.

The final aircraft carrier operational launch for a Tomcat happened aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), when Tomcat Modex 112 from the "Tomcatters" of VF-31, piloted by Lt. Blake Coleman and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Cmdr. Dave Lauderbaugh, made its way down from catapult No. 3 at 4:42 p.m.

During their final deployment with TR, VF-31 and 213 collectively completed 1,163 combat sorties totaling 6,876 flight hours, and dropped 9,500 pounds of ordnance during reconnaissance, surveillance, and close air support missions in support of OIF.

The F-14 entered operational service with Navy fighter squadrons VF-1 Wolfpack and VF-2 Bounty Hunters aboard USS Enterprise (CVN 65) in September 1974. The Tomcat’s purpose was to serve as a fighter interceptor, and replaced the F-4 Phantom II Fighter, which was phased out in 1986.

Although its dogfighting superiority had already been made clear through simulated training missions, the F-14 was first tested in combat operations in August 1981. While on patrol outside Libya, two F-14As were fired upon by two Libyan Sukhoi SU-22s. The Tomcat pilots safely maneuvered from a defensive position to an offensive one before engaging and destroying both SUs.

Four years later in 1985, F-14s were called upon in response to the hijacking of an Italian cruise ship. The terrorists, who were from the Palestine Liberation Organization, attempted to make an escape after going ashore and boarding a Boeing-737 commercial airliner. Tomcats from VF-74 and VF-103 were launched from USS Saratoga (CV 60) to intercept the 737. The terrorists, realizing they were no match for the Tomcat’s air-to-air attack capabilities, allowed the airliner to safely land in Sigonella, Sicily.

In 1989, the Tomcat was once again challenged by Libya when two MiG-23 Floggers engaged two F-14As from VF-32 that were flying combat air patrol missions from aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67). The MiG-23s were determined hostile and the eight-minute engagement resulted in the downing of both Floggers.

During its first 17 years of operational service in the Navy, the Tomcat played a vital role as an interceptor with its air-to-air capabilities. However, during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, where there was more need for air-to-ground abilities, the need for the Tomcat’s air-to-air capabilities diminished. Despite its many upgrades over the years, from the F-14A, to the F-14B, and finally the F-14D with its powerful GE F110 engines and more sophisticated weaponry and surveillance equipment, it appeared the Tomcat’s days were fading fast.

The Tomcats were also given the Low-Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN) targeting system to allow for delivery of laser-guided bombs. With its new upgrades the Tomcat’s were soon dubbed "Bombcats". During the proceeding years, the F-14s took on a new, more effective role as a fighter-bomber.

In Operation "Deliberate Force" in Bosnia, the Tomcats delivered laser-guided bombs while other aircraft painted the targets with lasers. The Navy was credited with 30 percent of the kills against forces in Kosovo as a result of the bombing performance of the Tomcat.

The F-14 also demonstrated its ground attack capabilities in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2002, VF-14 led the first long-range tactical air strike, flying more than 1,700 miles round trip to Mazar-e Sharif, destroying Taliban aircraft on the ground. During Operation "Iraqi Freedom", the Tomcats lived up to their "Bombcat" nickname with their air-to-ground missions, continuing to save the lives of coalition ground forces.

The last flight of the F-14 Tomcat in US service took place Oct 4th, 2006, when F-14D Modex 101 (BuNo 164603) from VF-31 was ferried from NAS Oceana to Republic Airport on Long Island, NY.

Bye-Bye Baby......!!!