text: Global War on Terror The squadron deployed to Kuwait in February 2003 and took part in the 2003 invasion of Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During the three and a half weeks of the war the squadron flew 1,150 hours during 540 sorties dropping 620,000 pounds of ordnance. The squadron returned to MCAS Miramar in May 2003.  In 2005, VMFA-232 became part of the United States Navy's Carrier Air Wing 11. In May 2005 they deployed with the rest of CVW-11 aboard the  to the Western Pacific and Persian Gulf, participating in combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and multinational exercises with Japan, Egypt, and India until November 2005.
  Early in the Nimitz deployment, several of the squadron members were interviewed for the PBS documentary Carrier. In 2007 the squadron deployed on the Nimitz again for a six-month cruise to the Persian Gulf. Four months later they did another WestPac deployment on the Nimitz. In January 2010 VMFA-232 accepted two F/A-18D Hornet aircraft and left in May 2010 for a deployment to Kandahar, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.  While in Afghanistan the Red Devils flew 4,090 Flight hours encompassing 1190 sorties and dropped 240,000 lbs of ordnance and expended 30,000 rounds of 20mm ammunition.  They returned to MCAS Miramar in November 2010.
  2015 Crash
  On 21 October 2015, an F/A-18C of VMFA-232 crashed in East Anglia, United Kingdom near the airbases at RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall. The aircraft was reportedly one of six transitting through RAF Lakenheath following a deployment in the Middle East. It was reported the pilot, identified as Major Taj Sareen, ejected but did not survive the event.
  Notable former members
  Randolph Bresnik
  Oliver Mitchell
  William "Spider" Nyland