Commanding Officer
Cmdr. Steven Hatch
Cmdr. Steven Hatch graduated in 2001 from Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri with a bachelor of science degree in Political Science. He earned his commission from the Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida and qualified as a naval aviator in July of 2003. He completed Fleet Replacement Training in the MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter at the Airborne Mine Countermeasures Weapon Systems Training School (AWSTS), Norfolk, Virginia.
Upon completion of his training in May of 2004, Hatch reported to Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron (HM) 15 in Corpus Christi, Texas where he completed multiple deployments to the Arabian Gulf supporting numerous Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM) exercises. Hatch served as an MH-53E FRS Instructor Pilot from 2007 to 2010, with distinctions including designation as a member of the MH-53E Helicopter Advanced Readiness Program (HARP) evaluation team and his selection as the Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures (NATOPS) Evaluator for the HM community. In this tour, he attended American Military University earning his masters of Public Administration with a specialization in Security Management.
In July 2010, Hatch returned to HM-15 as a full time suppport (FTS) aviator and department head. During this period, Hatch deployed to the Arabian Gulf serving as the forward-deployed detachment officer in charge during numerous multinational mine warfare exercises. In May 2013, Hatch was selected to serve as the commanding officer of Navy Operational Support Center Springfield, Missouri, and followed a successful FTS command tour with an in-residence tour at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. In 2016, he reported to Navy Personnel Command where he served as the placement officer for the Joint Chiefs of Staff as well as FTS aviation detailer until his departure in 2019.
His personal decorations include two Meritorious Service Medals, three Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medals, and three Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medals as well as other campaign and unit decorations.