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NROTC

NROTC
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  3. Commanding Officer

Commanding Officer

Aron Buckles

Captain, United States Navy

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     Captain Aron Buckles graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, was commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of California, Berkeley, and holds a Master of Military Studies from the U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College. He was designated a Naval Flight Officer in February 1997.

     As an EA-6B Electronic Countermeasures Officer (ECMO), Captain Buckles completed operational tours with the VAQ-135 Black Ravens deployed onboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in support of Operations Southern Watch and Northern Watch, VAQ-139 Cougars deployed onboard USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), and as Executive and Commanding Officer of the VAQ-134 Garudas onboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the last U.S. Navy operational deployment of the venerable Prowler. He then served as Operations Officer onboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69).

     Assignments ashore include EA-6B ECMO Instructor with the VAQ-129 Vikings, Flag Aide to Navy Region Northwest/Naval Surface Group Pacific Northwest, Individual Augmentee in J5 Plans at U.S. Central Command, Deployable CIS Systems Manager and System Management Division Operations Officer for the NATO CIS Services Agency (NCSA) in Mons, Belgium, where he also forward deployed as the NCSA Liaison Officer to International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan, and Director of Deliberate Plans (N53), U.S. Pacific Fleet. Most recently he served as Commander, Navy Munitions Command Pacific, East Asia Division in Ewa Beach, HI, leading 650 personnel in fleet ordnance support operations across 8 sites in Hawaii, Guam, Japan and Diego Garcia.

     Captain Buckles has been awarded the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (4), Air Medal (5 Strike/Flight awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (4) and various other personal and service awards.