Major Brian Kimmins is from Monroe, NY and attended the University of Nebraska at Kearney, earning a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications Management in August of 2008. From October of 2002 to July of 2005, then Senior Airman Kimmins, served as a Guidance and Control Systems technician on the KC-135R Stratotanker in the Nebraska Air National Guard. Following commissioning, 2ndLt Kimmins attended The Basic School and flight school. He was designated a Naval Aviator in March of 2012.
After completing AV-8B training in VMAT-203 at MCAS Cherry Point in March of 2013, he joined “The Wake Island Avengers” of VMA-211. During his initial tour, Captain Kimmins served as the Embark Officer, S-6 Officer-in-Charge (OIC) and Aviation Life Support Systems (ALSS) Division OIC. He deployed aboard the USS MAKIN ISLAND as a part of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) in July 2014. In July 2015, he volunteered for a deployment and joined VMA-214 where he served as the Airframes and ALSS Divisions OIC. He then deployed aboard the USS BOXER as a part of the 13th MEU in February 2016. While attached to VMM-166, Captain Kimmins served as the Aviation Combat Element’s Airframes Division OIC, AV-8B ALSS OIC and the AV-8B detachment’s Advanced Landing Signals Officer.
In January 2017, Captain Kimmins was rewarded with a staff tour and reported to the 13th MEU staff as the Assistant Air Officer. Here he served as the MEU Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) program manager, Personnel Recovery Officer and Collateral Damage Estimation (CDE) specialist. Captain Kimmins attended Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) School and the Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1 (MAWTS-1) Air Officer Course in the spring of 2017. He then deployed aboard the USS ESSEX as a part of the 13th MEU staff in July 2018. Upon return from deployment in January 2019, Major Kimmins reported to the “Warlords” of VMFAT-501 at Beaufort, SC for F-35B transition training, which he completed in December 2019. Upon completion of transition, Major Kimmins reported to MCAS Yuma where he was assigned once again to “The Wake Island Avengers” of VMFA-211. Initially serving as the squadron Director of Standardization and Safety, Major Kimmins then briefly took over the position of Assistant Operations Officer and Operations Officer for the squadron Deployment for Training to the United Kingdom in preparation for the Carrier Strike Group 21 deployment aboard the HMS Queen Elizabeth.
His personal decorations include the Navy Commendation Medal and three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals. He has accumulated over 930 mishap free flight hours.