NASJaxAirshow2017

C o n t. from Pg 31
ous Service Medal, two Meritorious Service
Medals, five Strike Flight Air Medals, four Navy
and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, one
with Combat “V,” three Navy and Marine Corps
Achievement Medals, and numerous unit, campaign,
and service awards.
LtCol Mark Hamilton,
United States Marine
Corps
LtCol Mark Hamilton is a native
of Becker, Minnesota, and
graduated from Becker High
School in 1996. He attended Purdue University
in West Lafayette, Indiana, and graduated with
a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2000. Mark
was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the
U.S. Marine Corps through the Naval Reserve
Officers Training Corps in 2000 and reported to
The Basic School at Marine Corps Base Quantico,
Virginia, to complete training.
Mark reported to Naval Air Station (NAS)
Pensacola, Florida, for aviation indoctrination
in January 2001. He completed primary flight
training in the T-34C Turbo Mentor at NAS
Whiting Field, Florida, and completed advanced
flight training in the T-44 Pegasus while assigned
to Training Squadron (VT) 31 at NAS
Corpus Christi, Texas. He received his wings of
gold in May 2002.
Mark then reported to Marine Aerial Refueler
Transport Training Squadron (VMGRT) 253, the
“Titans,” at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS)
Cherry Point, North Carolina, for initial training
in the KC-130 Hercules. He reported to Marine
Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR)
252, “Otis,” at MCAS Cherry Point, in May
2003, where he served as Ground Safety Officer
and Flight Duty Officer. While assigned to
VMGR-252, Mark deployed twice to Al Asad,
Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Mark reported to Marine Aerial Refueler
Transport Squadron (VMGR) 152, the “Sumos,”
at MCAS Futenma, Japan, in 2007, where he
served as Quality Assurance Officer and Assistant
Maintenance Officer. He also attended
Weapons and Tactics Instructor School and
became the squadron’s Aircrew Training Officer.
Mark then attended Terminal Attack Control
Party School and reported to 8th Marines
in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, where he
served as Assistant Air Officer and deployed to
Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in support of
Operation Enduring Freedom.
Mark returned to VMGR-252 in February
2012 to serve as the Director of Safety and
Survival. He also served as Officer in Charge
for VMGR-252 Detachment Bravo, which supported
the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit and
the newly-formed Special Marine Air Ground
Task Force – Crisis Response, and became
Operations Officer for VMGR-252.
Mark has flown more than 800 combat hours
and also supported numerous operations and
exercises in Alaska, Djibouti, Greece, Guam,
Hawaii, Italy, Iwo Jima, Jordan, Malaysia,
Myanmar, Philippines, Republic of the Marshall
Islands, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand,
United Kingdom, and Wake Island.
Mark joined the Blue Angels in September
2014. He has accumulated more than 4,000
flight hours. His decorations include twelve Air
Medals, three Navy and Marine Corps Commendation
Medals, the Navy and Marine Corps
Achievement Medal, and various personal and
unit awards.
Major Mark Montgomery,
United States Marine
Corps
Major Mark Montgomery is a
native of Cartersville, Georgia,
and graduated from Cartersville
High School in 1997, where he lettered
in football, wrestling, and track. He attended
the University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia,
and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in
Agriculture in 2001. Mark was commissioned
a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps
through the Platoon Leader’s Course in 2002
and reported to The Basic School at Marine
Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, to complete
training.
Mark reported to Naval Air Station (NAS)
Pensacola, Florida, for aviation indoctrination
in April 2003. He completed primary flight
training in the T-34C Turbo Mentor with Training
Squadron (VT) 2 at NAS Whiting Field, Florida,
and completed intermediate and advanced
training in the T-44 Pegasus while assigned
to Training Squadron (VT) 31 at NAS Corpus
Christi, Texas. He received his wings of gold in
September 2004.
Mark then reported to Marine Aerial Refueler
Transport Training Squadron (VMGRT) 253 the
“Titans,” at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS)
Cherry Point, North Carolina, for initial training
in the KC-130 Hercules, where he served as
a Flight Duty Officer. He reported to Marine
Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR)
252, “Otis,” at MCAS Cherry Point, in February
2006, where he served as an Adjutant, Aircrew
Training Officer, and Assistant Operations
Officer. While assigned to VMGR-252, Mark
deployed twice to Iraq in support of Operation
Iraqi Freedom. He then reported to 2nd Battalion,
6th Marines, 2nd Marine Division at Camp
Lejeune, North Carolina, in February 2010,
where he served as a Forward Air Controller
and deployed to Afghanistan
in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.Mark
returned to VMGR-252 in March
2011, where he served as Operations
Officer, Harvest Hercules Armament Weapons
Kit Officer-in-Charge, Maintenance Officer,
and deployed again to Afghanistan in support
of Operation Enduring Freedom. Mark has
2017
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flown more than 1,200 combat hours, to include
numerous operations and exercises in Afghanistan,
Iraq, Italy, Morocco, and Spain.
Mark joined the Blue Angels in September
2015. He has accumulated more than 2,700
flight hours. His decorations include sixteen Air
Medals, two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation
Medals, two Navy and Marine Corps
Achievement Medals, the Combat Action Ribbon,
and various personal and unit awards.
Major Kyle Maschner,
United States Marine
Corps
Major Kyle Maschner is a
native of Scottsdale, Arizona,
and graduated from Horizon
High School in 2001. He enlisted in the U.S
Marine Corps, completed basic training at
Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego in 2003,
and served in the Marine Reserve as a Heavy
Equipment Engineer Operator with Bulk Fuel
Company Alpha and Charlie until 2006. He then
attended Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff,
Arizona, and graduated with a Bachelor of
Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management
in 2006. Kyle was commissioned a Second
Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps through the
Platoon Leader’s Course in 2006 and reported
to The Basic School at Marine Corps Base
Quantico, Virginia, to complete training.
Kyle reported to Naval Air Station (NAS)
Pensacola, Florida, for aviation indoctrination
in June 2007. He completed primary flight
training in the T-34C Turbo Mentor with Training
Squadron (VT) 27 and completed advanced
training in the T-44C Pegasus while assigned
to Training Squadron (VT) 31 at NAS Corpus
Christi, Texas. He received his wings of gold in
January 2009.
Kyle then reported to Marine Aerial Refueler
Transport Squadron (VMGR) 352, the
“Raiders,” at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS)
Miramar, California, for initial flight training in
the KC-130 Hercules and served as Ground
Safety Officer, Quality Assurance Officer, Safety
and Survival Officer, Flight Equipment Officer,
and detachment Maintenance Officer. While
assigned to VMGR-352, he deployed twice to
Afghanistan and once to Africa in support of
Operation Enduring Freedom.
Kyle reported to Training Squadron (VT) 6,
the “Shooters,” at NAS Whiting Field, Florida,
for duty as a primary flight instructor in September
2012. While assigned to VT-6, he served
as the Student Control Officer and squadron
Standardization Officer.
Kyle then reported to 1st Marine Air Wing
(MAW) Okinawa, Japan, in September 2015
where he served as the Japan Geographic
Exercise Officer. While in Okinawa, he coordinated
and participated in multiple exercises in
the region.
Kyle joined the Blue Angels in September
2016. He has accumulated more than 2,500
flight hours. His decorations include eleven Air
Medals, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation
Medal, three Navy and Marine Corps
Achievement Medals, and various personal and
unit awards.
32 ó 2017 NAS Jax Air Show ó