Aron F. Buckles
Commander, Unites States Navy
Executive Officer
Commander Buckles is a graduate of Stanford University and was commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps at University of California, Berkeley in June 1995.
Ensign Buckles reported in November 1995 to NAS Pensacola, Florida. After completing Aviation Preflight Indoctrination, Primary, Intermediate and Advanced Training (Jet), he was designated a Naval Flight Officer in February 1997.
Following initial training as an EA-6B Prowler Electronic Countermeasures Officer (ECMO) in VAQ-129 VIKINGS, Lieutenant Junior Grade Buckles reported in June 1998 to VAQ-135 BLACK RAVENS assigned to CARRIER AIR WING ELEVEN in USS CARL VINSON, serving in various junior officer billets and deploying to the Western Pacific, Arabian Gulf and Incirlik, Turkey in support of OPERATIONS SOUTHERN WATCH and NORTHERN WATCH.
In June 2001, Lieutenant Buckles transferred to VAQ-129 VIKINGS, where he served as a Tactics, NATOPS and Carrier Qualification Instructor and ECMO Standardization Officer. In February 2003 he was selected as Flag Aide to NAVY REGION NORTHWEST/NAVAL SURFACE GROUP PACIFIC NORTHWEST in Bangor, WA.
Lieutenant Commander Buckles then served briefly as an Individual Augmentee in J5 Plans at U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND prior to attending U.S. MARINE CORPS COMMAND AND STAFF COLLEGE in August 2005, where he was awarded a Masters of Military Studies.
Lieutenant Commander Buckles’ most recent sea tour was in VAQ-139 COUGARS assigned to CARRIER AIR WING FOURTEEN in USS RONALD REAGAN, where he served as Safety, Operations and Maintenance Department Head and deployed to the Western Pacific and North Arabian Gulf in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM.
In February 2009, Lieutenant Commander Buckles reported to the NATO CIS Services Agency (NCSA) in Mons, Belgium, serving as Deployable CIS System Manager and System Management Division Operations Officer. From April to August 2010, he also deployed as the NCSA Liaison Officer to INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE FORCE (ISAF) Headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Commander Buckles has been awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Joint Achievement Medal, four Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medals and various other personal and service awards.