Commanding Officer
Cmdr. Matthew L. German
Cmdr. Matthew German, a native of Davenport, Iowa, enlisted in the U.S. Navy in January 1997. Following Aviation Structural Mechanic-Safety Equipment (AME) A-School, German reported to Fighter Squadron (VF) 41 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. While assigned to the “Black Aces,” he completed deployments onboard USS Enterprise (CVN-65) and USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71). During his follow-on shore assignment at Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit (CNATTU) Oceana, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Professional Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle. German commissioned as an Ensign via Officer Candidate School August 2005, and he was designated as a naval flight officer (NFO) in January 2007.
Upon completion of initial P-3C fleet replacement training, German joined the “War Eagles” of Patrol and Reconnaissance Squadron (VP) 16 based in Jacksonville, Florida in July 2007 where he completed two deployments to SOUTHCOM, EUCOM, and PACOM areas of responsibility (AOR). During this tour, he qualified as mission commander and instructor tactical coordinator and served as the NFO NATOPS Officer.
In October 2010, German reported for instructor duty at Patrol and Reconnaissance Squadron (VP) 30. Following qualification as a P-3C NFO instructor, he joined the Poseidon Fleet Integration Team and qualified in P-8A. He served as NFO training systems lead, NATOPS Evaluator, and instructor under training/standardization (IUT/STAN) officer for the first three P-8A squadron transitions. During this tour, he earned a Master of Business Administration from Auburn University.
Following his FRS tour, German reported to the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) based in Portsmouth, Virginia in October 2013 as a catapult and arresting gear officer and served as the V-1 Division Officer. In February 2015, he was assigned to Navy Personnel Command, Aviation Officer Distribution (PERS-43) in Millington, Tennessee where he served as the VP shore detailer.
Returning to the Jacksonville flight line in September 2017, he joined Patrol and Reconnaissance Squadron (VP) 10 for his department head tour where he served as the operations officer. While attached to “Red Lancers” he deployed to EUCOM and PACOM AORs. He most recently served as the operations officer at Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing ELEVEN. In May 2021, he reported to (VP) 8 as the executive officer and assumed command of the “Fighting Tigers” in May 2022.