Commanding Officer
Cmdr. Chris "Rexy" Yost
Cmdr. Chris Yost is a native of Mason City, Iowa. He graduated with merit from the United States Naval Academy in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering. He received a Master’s Degree in Systems Analysis with distinction from the Naval Postgraduate School. He is a graduate of the Naval War College with a Master of Arts in Defense and Strategic Studies.
Yost was designated as a naval aviator in 2007 and hand-selected to complete training in the MH-60R as a member of the initial cadre assigned to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 71. As a “Raptor” plank owner, he played an instrumental role in the squadron’s success during the U.S. Navy’s maiden HSM/MH-60R helicopter advanced readiness program (HARP), Air Wing Fallon, and operational deployment. His sea duty assignments also include catapult and arresting gear officer, V-1 division officer, and officer of the deck aboard USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). He completed his department head tour as a member of HSM-77 forward deployed to Atsugi, Japan, where he served as administration officer, USS Shiloh (CG 67) air officer, maintenance officer, and operations officer. He was selected as the 2018 HSM-77 Officer of the Year.
His shore assignments include Training Squadron (VT) 28 primary flight instructor and training department head responsible for all squadron training and standardization. He received the Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) Instructor Pilot of the Year and VT-28 Instructor Peer of the Year Awards.
His joint duty tours include speechwriter to Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and Deputy Division Chief, Intelligence Information Systems (J26), Joint Intelligence Operations Center (JIOC). In 2021, he was nominated for designation as a joint qualified officer.
Yost’s personal awards include multiple joint, service, and campaign awards, as well as various unit awards. He is the only two-time recipient of the CNATRA Instructor Pilot of the Year award (2012, 2013). He has flown over 4,500 mishap-free flight hours in the MH-60R, TH-57, and T-34C.
Yost reported to HSM-79 in May 2022 as a member of the Forward Deployed Naval Forces-Europe (FDNF-E) homeported in Rota, Spain.