I was born and raised in Neenah, Wisconsin, between Green Bay and Milwaukee. I graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy on May 26, 1999 and received my commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.
I finished The [Officers'] Basic School (TBS) in Quantico, Virginia in March 2000.
In November 2000, I graduated from API (Aviation Preflight Indoctrination), a six-week ground school course in Pensacola, Florida. It consisted of classes in aerodynamics, weather, engines and systems, navigation, and flight rules and regulations for the first four weeks. The last two weeks were dedicated to land and water survival training, including escaping from an inverted sinking helicopter simulator and parasailing behind a truck to practice parachute landings. Check out a couple pictures on my Pensacola Page.
I moved to Corpus Christi, Texas to begin Primary Flight Training--where I learned to fly the T-34C Turbo Mentor with the VT-28 Rangers. Upon completing training in July, I was assigned to helicopter training in the TH-57 Sea Ranger at NAS Whiting Field, in Milton, Florida.
After seven months of Advanced training with HT-8, I earned my wings of gold March 29, 2002. I selected the CH-53E Super Stallion heavy lift helicopter, and am stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego. Before moving to California, I learned how to fly the CH-53E at MCAS New River, North Carolina with HMT-302. I deployed with my new squadron, HMH-465 "Warhorse" in January 2003 on the USS Boxer, LHD-4. We were off the coast of Kuwait by the end of February, and moved inland to Jalibah, Iraq supporting the war by flying troops and equipment in southern Iraq, Kuwait, and the Gulf. After liberty ports in Australia and Hawaii on the way back, we returned to San Diego at the end of July 2003.
We deployed again in the middle of December for Okinawa, Japan, and we will be re-deploying to Iraq to support ongoing operations in the region throughout 2004.
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