Commanding Officer

Commanding Officer
Cmdr. Robert W. Knoerzer

Cmdr. Rob Knoerzer is a native of Mokena, Illinois. He graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 2006 and was commissioned through the Naval ROTC Program. Following graduation, he attended Flight School and was designated an unrestricted Naval Aviator in May 2008. He earned a Masters of Arts in Administrative Leadership from the University of Oklahoma in 2014. He completed Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) Phase I in 2018. 

Knoerzer’s operational assignments include tours with the Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 7 “Dusty Dogs” in Jacksonville, Florida and Norfolk, Virginia, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25 “Island Knights” in Guam as a super junior officer and training officer, and HSC-21 “Blackjacks” in San Diego, California as a department head and officer-in-charge. 

His shore assignments include an instructor tour at Helicopter Sea Combat Weapons School Atlantic and Joint Staff J-7, Joint Force Development Directorate, Joint Warfighting Development, Futures & Concepts Division in Suffolk, Virginia where he served as an action officer facilitating Multinational, Supporting, and Joint Concepts. 

Knoerzer was selected for commander in 2021 and reported to the “Tridents” of HSC-9 as executive officer in January 2023. Knoerzer has accumulated more than 2,200 flight hours in Naval aircraft and is a graduate of the Navy’s Rotary Wing Weapons School.