Executive Officer
Capt. Christopher H. Grimes
Capt. Christopher Grimes is a native of Radcliff, Kentucky, where he graduated from North Hardin High School in 1987. He began his military service in August 1988, completing basic training at Naval Recruit Training Center, Great Lakes, Illinois, with follow-on training at Avionics “A” School, Millington, Tennessee, and Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia Beach, Virginia. His enlisted tours included Sea Operational Detachment, Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department (AIMD) Oceana, deploying onboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) and Sea Operational Detachment, AIMD Norfolk deploying onboard USS America (CV 66) and USS George Washington (CVN 73).
He separated from naval service in May 1997 and was employed by MILCOM Systems, Virginia Beach, Virginia, as the production lead for consolidated automated support system (CASS) test program set development and manufacture. He was later employed by Sikorsky Support Systems, Incorporated, Troy, Alabama, performing standard depot level maintenance on Navy, Army and Air Force H-60 helicopters.
In 2000, Grimes graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a Bachelor of Science in Management of Technical Operations followed in 2001 by a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from Saint Leo University. He was commissioned in November 2001 via Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida, and was designated an Aerospace Maintenance Duty Officer (AMDO) in 2002. He received a Master of Science in Human Resource Management from Saint Leo University in 2009.
His commissioned tours include maintenance and material control officer and assistant maintenance officer for Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 195, Atsugi, Japan; F/A-18 training officer for Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit, Oceana, Virginia Beach, Virginia; individual augment, Baghdad, Iraq; avionics and support equipment division officer AIMD, USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), Norfolk, Virginia; maintenance and material control officer for VFA-106, Virginia Beach, Virginia; Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2 maintenance officer, and Fleet Readiness Center West executive officer, Lemoore, California; deputy assistant program manager for Logistics NAVAIR PMA-265 Patuxent River, Maryland; and, AIMD maintenance officer, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69); F/A-18A-F and EA-18G assistant program manager for logistics, NAVAIR PMA-265, Patuxent River, Maryland and, production officer, Fleet Readiness Center Mid-Atlantic, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
In September 2023, Grimes reported as the executive officer of Fleet Readiness Center Mid-Atlantic, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (3 awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (6 awards), Joint Service Achievement Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (2 awards) and various campaign, service, and unit awards. He is authorized to wear the Professional Aviation Maintenance Officer and Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist insignias.