| Kent F. Thompson Class of 1986 |
 Kent F. Thompson Class of 1986Commander, United States Navy Immediately upon graduation from the R9 school district, now-Commander Thompson reported to the Naval Academy as a Midshipman. He has spent the majority of his 23 years in uniform as an operational Combat Search and Rescue pilot. He has deployed in USS SARATOGA, USS CARL VINSON and USS NIMITZ, most recently for Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM. He is a Weapons and Tactics Flight Instructor in Seahawk aircraft. He has served as the Strike Operations officer for the Navy’s west coast Carrier Aviation training command. He was the operations briefing officer for the President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff while at the Pentagon, and currently serves as the Deputy Director for Training for the entire Pacific Area of Responsibility. Hometown Carthage, Missouri Education Carthage Senior High School – 1986 United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD – 1990 United States Naval Pilot Flight Training, Pensacola, FL – 1993 United States Naval War College, Newport, RI – 2000 National Graduate School, Falmouth, MA – 2006 Operational Assignments Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron FIFTEEN, Jacksonville, FL Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron ONE, Jacksonville, FL Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron TEN, San Diego, CA Commander, Carrier Group ONE, Coronado, CA Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron SIX, North Island, CA Commander, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, DC Commander, Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, HI Combat Deployments Bosnia – Herzegovina, 1994 Afghanistan – 2001 Iraq – 2003 |