Colonel Sean Hoewing attended high school in Centreville, Virginia, and graduated from Auburn University in 1997 with a degree in Aviation Management. He attended the Marine Corps Officer Candidate School (OCS) as a midshipman with the Auburn University Naval ROTC unit and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in August 1997. Upon completion of The Basic School he reported to Naval Aviation Training Command in Pensacola, Florida and was designated a Naval Aviator in July 2000.
In August 2000, First Lieutenant Hoewing reported to Marine Heavy Helicopter Training Squadron 302 at MCAS New River, North Carolina for Replacement Aircrew Training in the CH-53E “Super Stallion.” Upon completion of initial training in April 2001 he was designated a CH-53E Helicopter Second Pilot (H2P). In May 2001, he reported to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 465, Marine Aircraft Group 16 at MCAS Miramar in San Diego, California.
While assigned to the “Warhorse,” Captain Hoewing served as the Ground Safety Officer, Adjutant, Flightline Officer, and Logistics Officer. During his time with HMH-465, he completed three deployments to include a Unit Deployment Program (UDP) to Okinawa, Japan, OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM I aboard the USS Boxer, and finally the 31st MEU with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265 (REIN) aboard the USS Essex before transferring to Quantico to attend the Expeditionary Warfare School (EWS). Upon graduation of EWS in 2005, Captain Hoewing was reassigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461. While with “Ironhorse,” he served as the Assistant Aircraft Maintenance Officer and attended the Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course in the fall of 2005. Upon graduation from WTI, Captain Hoewing served as the Training Officer, Weapons and Tactics Instructor, and Assistant Operations Officer before attaching to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron HMM-264 (REIN) and deploying with the 26th MEU aboard the USS Bataan.
In July 2007, Captain Hoewing reported to Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics School One (MAWTS-1) in Yuma, Arizona to serve as an instructor pilot. During his time at MAWTS-1, he was promoted to Major and served as a CH-53D/E instructor and as the Assault Support Specialist in the Aviation Development, Tactics and Evaluation (ADT&E) Department where he pioneered work within the Digital Interoperability (DI) field. Major Hoewing was then reassigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 362, the “Ugly Angels,” in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii in December 2010. While with the Ugly Angels, Major Hoewing served as the Operations Officer and the Aircraft Maintenance Officer. He successfully participated in the last combat tour of the CH-53D in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM 12.2 in the Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 2012.
Following his tour in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, Major Hoewing was ordered to report to Headquarters Marine Corps Aviation during the winter of 2012 to serve as Marine Corps Aviation’s Digital Interoperability Requirements Officer (APW-74). As the Digital Interoperability Requirements Officer, Major Hoewing was responsible for developing a roadmap for the integration of tablets, software defined radios, and advanced network waveforms throughout the MAGTF in support of future Cyber/EW concepts and Expeditionary Force 21. Major Hoewing then moved to MAG-16 Headquarters in August 2014, where he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and served as the Operations Officer. In May of 2015, he assumed command of Marine Heavy Helicopter 465 in Miramar, California and deployed to Okinawa, Japan in support of UDP. Following his change of command in May of 2017, he reported to the College of Information and Cyberspace (CIC) at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. where he graduated in June of 2018 as a distinguished graduate. Lieutenant Colonel Hoewing then reported to USCYBERCOM at Fort Meade, MD where he served as the Deputy Chief of Fires and Effects (J38).
Following his tour at USCYBERCOM, Lieutenant Colonel Hoewing reported to 1st MAW in Okinawa, Japan where he was promoted to Colonel and served as the G-5 (Plans) Officer responsible for incorporating new Force Design constructs into current INDOPACOM theater planning efforts.
Colonel Hoewing is a graduate of the Expeditionary Warfare School, Command and Staff College Non-resident Course, and The College of Information and Cyberspace (Distinguished Graduate). He has over 2,200 mishap free flight hours and his personal decorations include: the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with two Gold Stars, Air Medal Strike Flight Numeral “5”, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, and multiple Navy Commendation and Navy Achievement Medals.