Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Duff will give an Independent Activities Period presentation on aviation elements in the US Marine Corps' MAGTF combined arms units.

Speaker info:
Lieutenant Colonel Tom Duff is the US Marine Corps' 2024-2025 Fellow at MIT's Security Studies Program. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy and was commissioned in the United States Marine Corps in 2004. Upon completion of The Basic School, Tom reported to Flight School and was designated a Naval Aviator.  As a company-grade officer and AH-1W Cobra Pilot, he deployed multiple times with Marine Light Attack Helicopter (HMLA) Squadron 169 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.  Following that tour, he served for three years as an AH-1 Instructor and Aviation Safety Officer at Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1).

After attending the College of Naval Command and Staff, Tom transitioned to the AH-1Z and deployed with HMLA-369 followed by a tour at Headquarters Marine Corps Aviation where he coordinated H-1 requirements and resources.  He then commanded the HMLA-169 Vipers in Camp Pendleton, California for two years and deployed the squadron to Okinawa, Japan.  HMLA-169 was subsequently awarded the 2023 Marine Corps Aviation Association HMLA of the Year award.

Tom’s personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal with two gold stars, the Air Medal with Combat V and 14 Strike/Flight awards, and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with gold star.

Open to the MIT community

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