Executive Officer
Cmdr. Kyle Mason

Cmdr. Kyle Mason is a native of Orlando, Florida, and graduated from Virginia Tech in 2007 with a degree in English. In 2022, he was awarded a Master of Arts in Defense and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. 

Earning his naval aviator “wings” in 2010, Mason completed his initial F/A-18E/F Super Hornet training at Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. In 2011, he reported to the VFA-102 “Diamondbacks” stationed at Naval Air Station (NAS) Atsugi, Japan, where he completed several U.S. 7th Fleet patrols aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73) in the West Pacific. During his time with the “Diamondbacks”, he served as the line division officer, mission planning officer, weapons training officer, and forward air controller (airborne).

In 2014, he reported to the west coast Fleet Replacement Squadron, VFA-122 “Flying Eagles,” at NAS Lemoore, California, where he was awarded the 2015 Instructor Pilot of the Year. In 2017, he embarked on USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) with the VFA-31 “Tomcatters” in combat operations during Operation Inherent Resolve over Iraq and Syria. Mason would stay on with “Felix” at NAS Oceana, Virginia, for a department head tour where he served as aviation safety officer, administration department head, maintenance officer, and operations officer with a subsequent deployment to U.S. 7th Fleet on USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71).

Mason reported in 2020 to the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, as a student of the College of Naval Command and Staff. There he served as the “blue” team lead and naval aviation strike fighter subject matter expert in the Russian Maritime Studies Institute’s Holloway Group. The war games conducted by the Holloway Group yielded research focused on operational level planning and potential conflicts in the U.S. European Command and U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility. In 2023, he returned to Virginia Beach as the executive officer of the VFA-37 “Ragin’ Bulls.”

Mason has over 2,600 flight hours and over 550 carrier landings. He has been awarded the Strike Flight Air Medal, three Navy Commendation Medals, three Navy Achievement Medals, and various unit and campaign awards.