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Operation Procedures Standardization Officer,
Assistant Operations Officer, and Landing
Signal Officer. While assigned to VFA-31,
Brandon completed deployments in the Middle
East aboard USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77)
in support of Operations New Dawn, Enduring
Freedom, and Inherent Resolve.
Brandon joined the Blue Angels in September
2016. He has accumulated more than 2,100
flight hours and 320 carrier-arrested landings.
His decorations include two Strike Flight Air
Medals, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement
Medals, and various personal and unit
awards.
Lieutenant Dave Steppe,
United States Navy
Lieutenant Dave Steppe is a
native of Birmingham, Alabama,
and graduated from Vestavia
Hills High School in 2004, where
he lettered in football. He attended Auburn
University, Auburn, Alabama, graduated with
a Bachelor of Science in Logistics through the
Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps in 2008,
and was commissioned an Ensign in the U.S.
Navy.
Dave then reported to Naval Air Station
(NAS) Pensacola, Florida, for aviation indoctrination.
He completed Naval Flight Officer
training in the T-6 Texan, T-1 Jayhawk, T-39
Saberliner, and the T-45 Goshawk. He received
his wings of gold in August 2010.
Dave reported to Electronic Attack Squadron
(VAQ) 129, the “Vikings”, at NAS Whidbey
Island, Washington, for initial training in the E/A-
18G Growler. He then reported to Electronic Attack
Squadron (VAQ) 141, the “Shadowhawks,”
at NAS Whidbey Island, in October 2011, where
he served as Electronic Warfare Officer, Quality
Assurance Officer, Avionics/Armament Division
Officer, Schedules Officer, and Joint Mission
Planning System Subject Matter Expert.
While assigned to VAQ-141, Dave deployed
with USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) and
flew in support of Operation New Dawn. He
also served in Atsugi, Japan, and deployed
with USS George Washington (CVN 73), to
complete three cruises in the Western Pacific.
He also participated in the joint force exercises
Valiant Shield, Cope North, Keen Sword, and
other multinational exercises. Dave returned
to VAQ-129 in February 2015 as an Electronic
Warfare Officer instructor and also served as
the Air to Air Phase Head, Schedules Officer,
and Naval Air Training and Operation Procedures
Standardization (NATOPS) Evaluator.
Dave joined the Blue Angels in September
2016. He has accumulated more than 1,400
flight hours and has more than 300 carrierarrested
landings. His decorations include a
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal,
and various personal and unit awards.
Commander Matt Kaslik,
United States Navy
Commander Matt Kaslik is a
native of The Woodlands, Texas,
and graduated from McCullough
High School in 1991, where he
was captain of the varsity football team. He
attended the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis,
Maryland, where he lettered in varsity football,
graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Oceanography
in 1995, and was commissioned an
Ensign in the U.S. Navy.
Matt reported to Naval Air Station (NAS)
Pensacola, Florida, for aviation indoctrination
in January 1996. He completed naval flight
officer training in the T-34C Turbo Mentor, T-1
Jayhawk, T-39G/N Saberliner and the T-A4
Skyhawk. He received his wings of gold in June
1997.
Matt then reported to Electronic Attack
Squadron (VAQ) 129, the “Vikings,” at NAS
Whidbey Island, Washington, for initial training
in the EA-6B Prowler. He reported to Electronic
Attack Squadron (VAQ) 135, the “Black
Ravens,” at NAS Whidbey Island in August
1998, where he served as the Avionics/Armament
Division Officer and Personnel Officer.
While assigned to VAQ-135, Matt completed a
Western Pacific and Arabian Gulf deployment
with USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in support of
Operation Desert Fox and flew in support of
Operation Southern Watch in Iraq in 1999.
Matt made an expeditionary deployment to
Incirlik Airbase, Turkey, and flew in support of
Operation Northern Watch in Iraq in 2000. He
deployed again with USS Carl Vinson to the
Arabian Sea in 2001 to conduct the first strikes
during the opening days of Operation Enduring
Freedom in Afghanistan, for which VAQ-135
earned the Battle “E” and Safety “S” awards.
Matt was then selected as a Personnel
Exchange Officer to serve with the German Air
Force and reported to the Defense Language
Institute at the Presidio of Monterey, California,
in April 2002. He reported to the German Air
Force Flying Training Center at Holloman Air
Force Base, Alamogordo, New Mexico, to fly
the Panavia 200 Tornado in January 2003. Matt
then reported to Fighter Bomber Squadron 321,
the “Tigers,” at Lechfeld Airbase, Bavaria, Germany,
to fly the Electronic Combat Reconnaissance
Tornado as a Weapons Systems Officer
in July 2003.
Matt reported to Naval Station Mayport,
Florida, and served as an Assistant Air Operations
Officer and on the Bridge Team aboard
USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) in August 2005.
He returned to VAQ-135 in November 2006 as
a Department Head and served as the Safety,
Administrative, and Operations Officer for two
Western Pacific deployments aboard USS
Nimitz (CVN 68) with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11
in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and
Iraqi Freedom.
Matt then reported to Defense Information
Systems Agency (DISA) Pacific, Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii, as a Program Manager in 2009. He deployed
to Iraq as Officer-In- Charge of the DISA
Support Element-Iraq’s long range telecommunications
team, which served in support of
Operation Iraqi Freedom, and soon after served
as DISA Pacific’s Chief of Staff.
Matt reported to USS John C. Stennis (CVN
74) at Naval Base Kitsap Bremerton, Washington,
in June 2012 and served as the Assistant
Air Officer, lead a 650-personnel department,
and completed an eight-month combat Western
Pacific and Arabian Sea deployment in support
of Operation Enduring Freedom. Matt then
reported to the U.S. Naval Academy to serve as
the Military Deputy Director of Athletics in August
2014. He also served as a military instructor
of Ethics and supported the Naval Academy
in earning the Patriot League President’s Cup
for the third straight year. He received his Master
of Arts in International Relations from the
University of Oklahoma in 2011.
Matt joined the Blue Angels in September
2016. He has accumulated more than 2,230
flight hours and 530 carrier-arrested landings.
His decorations include the Defense Meritori-
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