Lieutenant Colonel Brandon J. Gaudren graduated from Portland State University in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology. Upon graduation, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and completed The Basic School (TBS) for Marine Corps Officers in February 2000.
After TBS, Second Lieutenant Gaudren reported to Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas for flight training in April of 2000. He was designated a Naval Aviator on 20 April 2002. In August of 2002, he reported to VMFAT-101 at MCAS Miramar, California, for follow-on training in the F/A-18 Hornet.
From April 2004 to April 2007 he was a pilot with the “Black Knights” of VMFA-314 where he held the billets of Aviation Safety Officer, Schedules Officer, and Flight Officer. He deployed in support of the Unit Deployment Program to Iwakuni, Japan in 2005.
From April 2007 to April 2008, Captain Gaudren was a Forward Air Controller with 1st Battalion, 1st Marines and executed a combat deployment to Iraq in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM.
From April 2008 to June 2011, Major Gaudren was an Instructor Pilot with the “Sharp Shooters” of VMFAT-101 where he held additional billets of Schedules Officer, Aviation Life Support Systems Officer in Charge, and Standardization Officer.
From August 2011 to June 2012, he attended resident Command and Staff College in Quantico, Virginia. He then returned to the cockpit of the F/A-18 for a tour with the “Silver Eagles” of VMFA-115. He attended TOPGUN in January 2013 and upon graduation deployed to combat in support of RFF-1200. In July 2014 he deployed again in support of the Unit Deployment Programto Iwakuni, Japan. While with the Silver Eagles, Major Gaudren filled the billets of Operations Officer and Aircraft Maintenance Officer.
From April 2015 to August 2018, Lieutenant Colonel Gaudren served as an Operational Test Pilot for Air Test and Evaluation Squadron NINE (VX-9) where he flew the F/A18A-D Hornet and the F/A-18E-F Super Hornet. While with the “Vampires” of VX-9 he was the Mission Systems Branch Head in charge of operational test for all software and hardware upgrades to the F/A-18A-F. Lieutnenant Colonel Gaudren began serving as Executive Officer of Marine Wing Support Group 37 in September of 2018.