The wing was established on 1 April 1970 as Reserve Carrier Air Wing 20 (CVWR-20) along with fellow reserve wings Reserve Carrier Air Wing 30 (CVWR-30) also on 1 April 1970 and Reserve Antisubmarine Carrier Air Group 70 (CVSGR-70) and Reserve Antisubmarine Carrier Air Group 80 (CVSGR-80) both on 1 May 1970. CVWR-20 and CVSG-70 were aligned with the U.S. Atlantic Fleet and CVWR-30 and CVSGR-80 with the U.S. Pacific Fleet. All four wings were established as part of a plan to create a mirror image of the active duty units, after previous years saw the reserve units fly outdated aircraft that also had to be shared with the Marine Corps Reserve.[3][11][9]
The two CVSGRs were disestablished in June and July of 1976 and CVWR-30 was disestablished on 31 December 1994 leaving CVWR-20 as the only remaining sea going reserve air wing.[3]
CVWR-20 was initially composed of VA-203, VA-204, VA-205, VFP-206, VAW-207, VAQ-208, VA-209, and VA-210.[9] The wing's five VA squadrons were atypical as active component air wings consisted of two VF and three VA squadrons. VA-209 and VA-210 were replaced by VF-201 and VF-202 and were disestablished in 1971. In October 1977 VAQ-209 was established as the wing's Tactical Electronic Warfare squadron. The wing's original VAQ squadron, VAQ-208 though designated VAQ operated KA-3 Skywarrior tankers (not the EKA-3B electronic warfare variant) and in 1979 it was redesignated VAK-208 to reflect that reality. VA-204 (now designated VFC-204) is the only squadron which was established with the wing and remains a part of it today.[citation needed]
In June 1975, the wing deployed aboard USS Saratoga (CV-60), composed of VF-201, VF-202, VA-203, VA-204, VA-205, VPF-206, and VAQ-208. The squadrons conducted carrier qualifications alongside units from CVWR-30.[7]
In July 1989, CVWR-20 deployed aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) for a 10-day cruise, earning the captain's praise and achieving a 94 percent boarding rate.[3]
On 1 October 1992, CVWR-20 took over control of VFC-12 and VFC-13. Both squadrons were previously assigned to the Fleet Logistics Support Wing.[12] In November 2006 VFC-13's permanent Key West detachment was established as VFC-111 and was added to the wing.[13]
The 1994 disestablishment of CVWR-30 left CVWR-20 as the only reserve air wing capable of deploying to carriers, with a fleet of F/A-18 Hornets, operated by VFC-12 and VFC-13, as well as E-2 Hawkeyes, part of VAW-77 and VAW-78, making up the wing.[3]
On 1 April 2007 CVWR-20 was redesigned Tactical Support Wing in recognition of the wing's change in function from its original mirror image of an active component carrier air wing able to deploy aboard aircraft carriers to its current function of operational and training support for active forces. At the time of the redesignation the wing consisted of six squadrons: VFA-204 which was the original CVWR-20's VA-204, VAQ-209 which was established into the wing in 1977, VFC-12 and VFC-13 which transferred into the wing in 1992, VFC-111 which was established into the wing from VFC-13 in 2006, and VAW-77 which had been established in 1995 specifically to support the United States Coast Guard and other Federal Agencies in interdicting illegal drug trafficking through the Caribbean Sea and across the southern border. VAW-77 was deactivated in March of 2013 leaving the wing with its current five squadrons. By 2022 VFA-204 was the sole remaining squadron in the Navy flying the F/A-18C Hornet.[14] In October of 2022 it retired the Hornet from Navy service, was redesignated VFC-204 and received VFC-13's F-5 Tiger II aircraft as VFC-13 transitioned from the F-5 to the F-16C Fighting Falcon.[15]
^"VAW/VRC Foundation". VAW/VRC Foundation. VAW/VRC FOUNDATION, INC & READY ROOM. Retrieved 29 January 2023. VAW-207 was based in NAS Norfolk and flew the E-1B aircraft. It was commissioned July 1970 and decommissioned in June 1974. VAW-207 was part of CVWR-20 (CAG-20) with tail letters "AF". When VAW-207 was decommissioned, VAW-78 took its place.