Michael Hardison

About Michael Hardison

I\'m a Naval Instructor Pilot from outside the beltway in northern Virginia. A Marine brat, the idea of service was firmly instilled in me throughout my childhood. Following an exploration of a variety of career options in college at the University of North Carolina, I opted to seek a commission in the United States Navy, following a dream to become a Naval Aviator. Following a challenging two and a half years of flight school, I received my wings in July of 2016 and was designated a P-3C pilot. My time as a naval aviator began at VP-40 in Whidbey Island, WA where I would eventually qualify as a plane commander and mission commander, with deployments to the Pacific and Middle East along the way. Tackling the challenge of flying the US Navy\'s oldest platform, I was selected as a senior pilot to transition to the P-8A where I re-qualified as an plane and mission commander and was designated an instructor pilot in the summer of 2020. At the end of my tour in Washington, I was selected to instruct the P-8A at VP-30, the MPRF community\'s Fleet Replacement Squadron. After arriving in Jacksonville, FL at the end of 2020, I had the pleasure to train and instruct the fleet\'s newest P-8A pilots and instructors, qualify as an Instructor-Under-Training Instructor and become part of the P-8A formation flying team. After three years in Jacksonville, I left for Newport News, VA, embarking on a new journey as the Assistant Strike Officer aboard the USS John C Stennis.

Experience

1. Assistant Strike Operations Officer

   Uss John C. Stennis Cvn 74

   Jul 2023 — Present · Newport News, VA, US

   Manage the daily schedule for over 2200 sailors assigned to the John C Stennis aircraft carrier; assist in development of long-range plans for on-time deployment of one of the only eleven American aircraft carriers

Education

• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Political Science and Government

  2010 — 2014