In March 2002 VF-143 Pukin Dogs sailed on board the USS John F. Kennedy as part of CVW-7 with a mission to support Operation Enduring Freedom and returned home in August. Their next deployment was on board the USS George Washington in 2004 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. 2005 saw the unit transition to the new F/A-18 Super Hornet and this required a designation change to VFA-143. Pukin Dogs is believed to be a comment made when the Griffin logo was first viewed, the drooping head and open mouth, it looks like a puking dog.