John grew up in Lafayette, California and entered the Army in 1995 when he joined the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of California, Davis.  At U.C. Davis, he earned both a Bachelor of Science in Biological Science and a commission as second lieutenant in the US Army.  After training to become a UH60 Blackhawk helicopter pilot at Fort Rucker, Alabama, John was assigned to Fort Campbell, KY in July 2001.  He served as an Assault Platoon leader for twenty-five months and deployed as a platoon leader in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  Upon returning from Iraq, he attended the Aviation Captain's Career Course, the Aviation Maintenance Manager's Course and the UH-60 Maintenance Test Pilot Course at Fort Rucker, Alabama.  He then returned to Fort Campbell where he commanded an aviation maintenance company for 26 months, including another deployment to Iraq.

    He is a diverse and adaptive management and leadership professional with widespread experience managing teams, providing technical expertise and leadership in training, logistics, asset management, military combat operations and aviation maintenance.  His two combat tours in Iraq have provided him with a wealth of knowledge about aviation logistical and maintenance management needs. He has extensive experience working with and building relationships with project managers, item managers, engineers, and defense contractors and is skilled in team building, leadership, crisis management, and strategic planning.  John is a skilled public speaker and experienced in teaching, delivering presentations and providing technical reports and evaluations.     

    Currently, John is an instructor in the Department of Chemistry and Life Science at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York.