Executive Officer
Cmdr. Sean Rice
Cmdr. Sean Rice, a native of Boise, Idaho, graduated with honors from the United States Naval Academy in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering. He completed flight training in Milton, Florida, and was “winged” as a Naval Aviator in February 2009. He completed a Master of Business Administration through the Naval Postgraduate School in 2015 and Joint Professional Military Education Phase 1 through the U.S. Air Force Command and Staff College in 2021.
Rice’s operational assignments include Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 22 and HSC-25 where he served as Maintenance Officer and Officer-in-Charge of both Detachments three and six.
Rice’s shore assignments include tours at HSC-2 as an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter Instructor Pilot and Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic NATOPS Evaluator; NATO’s Headquarters Supreme Allied Commander Transformation as Flag Aide, Military Assistant, and Executive Assistant to Rear Admiral Pete Gumataotao, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Policy; and the Joint Staff J-7 as Branch Deputy and Joint Warfighting Concept implementation lead.
Selected for Aviation Command, Rice reported to the “Tridents” of HSC-9 as Executive Officer in April 2024.
Rice has accumulated over 2,800 flight hours, including more than 2,500 hours in the MH-60S Seahawk. Rice’s decorations include two Defense Meritorious Service Medals and various other personal and unit level awards. He is the recipient of a Sikorsky Rescue Award for leading, as Helicopter Aircraft Commander, the life-saving recovery of two spear fishermen stranded on a reef in Guam.