Lieutenant Colonel Blake T. Jansen was born in Santa Barbara, California. He graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida, in 2007, earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He completed the Officer Candidates School and received a commission as a Second Lieutenant in March 2009. Lieutenant Colonel Jansen graduated from The Basic School at MCB Quantico in September 2009 and reported to NAS Pensacola for Aviation Preflight Indoctrination. He completed primary flight training at VT-6 and was selected to fly the KC-130J Super Hercules. Lieutenant Colonel Jansen completed advanced aviation training with VT-31 at NAS Corpus Christi, where he earned his Naval Aviator wings on 28 July 2011.
Lieutenant Colonel Jansen reported to the KC-130J Aviation Training Unit at MCAS Cherry Point to earn his designation as a KC-130J pilot and was subsequently assigned to VMGR-252. At team OTIS, from February 2012 through August 2014, Lieutenant Colonel Jansen executed one combat deployment in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, flying both assault support missions and close air support missions as a Harvest HAWK pilot. He also deployed in support of MAG-50 conducting aerial refueling missions throughout the CENTCOM AOR. His billets included airframes assistant officer-in-charge, administrative officer, and flight duty officer.
In the summer of 2014, Lieutenant Colonel Jansen attended Expeditionary Warfare Training Group Atlantic to become qualified as a Forward Air Controller (FAC). Upon completion, he received orders to 3rd Battalion 2nd Marines where he served as a company FAC and deployed to the U.S. Indo-Pacific participating several theater security cooperation events with partner nations under the Marine Corps Unit Deployment Program (UDP) based out of Camp Schwab, Okinawa.
Upon return from deployment, he received orders to VMGR-352 at MCAS Miramar, where he served as Assistant Aircraft Maintenance Officer (AAMO), detachment Operations Officer (OpsO), squadron Assistant OpsO, and squadron aircrew training officer. During this time Lieutenant Colonel Jansen earned designations as Assistant NATOPS Instructor (ANI), Harvest HAWK Fires Control Officer (FCO), Night Systems Instructor (NSI), Low Altitude Tactics Instructor (LATI), and Division Lead (DL). In the fall of 2016, he attended Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course 17-1 and was designated as a Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI), Strategic Refueling Area Commander (STRATRAC), and Flight Leadership Standardization Evaluator (FLSE). During this tour with VMGR-352 Lieutenant Colonel Jansen deployed twice in support of operation INHERENT RESOLVE based out of Al Jaber Air Base, Kuwait.
Upon completion of his tour with the Raiders, he received orders to the West-Coast KC-130J Fleet Replacement Detachment (FRD-W), where he served as the Officer-in-Charge (OIC). During this period, he earned designations as Fleet Replacement Squadron Instructor (FRSI), KC-130J NATOPS Instructor (NI), and CRM Instructor (CRM-I). He participated in the rewrite of numerous KC-130 publications to include the KC-130J NATOPS and advanced tactics, techniques, and procedures manual.
In the summer of 2021, Lieutenant Colonel Jansen was selected by the Commandant’s Professional Intermediate-Level Education Board to attend the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, earning a master's degree in Operational Studies. Upon graduation, in August 2022, Lieutenant Colonel Jansen received orders to VMGR-152 where he served as the squadron Aircraft Maintenance Officer. In July 2024, Lieutenant Colonel Jansen was assigned to Headquarters Marine Corps, Programs and Resources Aviation Branch, where he was responsible for the assistance and development of Program Objective Memorandum (POM) 27 and assigned as lead programmer for the POM 28 Marine Aviation budget submission.
In February 2026, Lieutenant Colonel Jansen was assigned to the MAG-11 Headquarters staff to prepare for command assignment to VMGR-352.
Lieutenant Colonel Jansen’s personal awards include Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with Strike/Flight Numeral 8, and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with three gold stars in lieu of fourth award.