Biography
Commanding Officer, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232
Lieutenant Colonel Michael D. McMahon

Lieutenant Colonel Michael D. McMahon was born in 1981 in Jefferson City, MO and subsequently attended schools in Augusta, GA and Clinton, NY. Following graduation from High School he then enlisted in the Navy and was stationed in Charleston, SC. Several months into his enlistment, Lieutenant Colonel McMahon was selected to attend the United States Naval Academy. He left the enlisted ranks as a 3rd Class Petty Officer. After graduating from the Naval Academy with a degree in Control Systems Engineering in 2004 he was commissioned as a 2ndLt in the United States Marine Corps. 

Lieutenant Colonel McMahon then moved on to The Basic School and completed the Basic Officer Course in May of 2005.  Shortly thereafter he reported to NAS Pensacola, FL for flight training. Over the next two years, LtCol McMahon completed his flight training in Texas and Mississippi, and was subsequently designated a Naval Aviator. Following his designation he received orders to MCAS Miramar for Fleet Replacement training in the F/A-18 aircraft.  He completed FRS training with VMFAT-101 in October of 2008 and was assigned to the “Red Devils” of VMFA-232.

After checking into VMFA-232 Lieutenant Colonel McMahon served as the Scheduling Officer, S-6 Officer in Charge, JMPS Officer, S-1 Officer in Charge, Adjutant, and Powerline Officer. During this tour he deployed to Kandahar Afghanistan in 2010 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. 

Following his first FMF tour, Lieutenant Colonel McMahon joined 1st Tank Battalion in Twenty-nine Palms, CA. He completed the Tactical Air Control Party course and was assigned as the Alpha Company Air Officer. After multiple pre-deployment training events Lieutenant Colonel McMahon deployed with Alpha Company to Shir Ghazay, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2012.

Following his tour with the Tank Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel McMahon returned to his primary MOS and was assigned to VMFA-115 out of MCAS Beaufort, SC. With the “Silver Eagles” he served as the Airframes Officer and Pilot Training Officer. Lieutenant Colonel McMahon deployed with VMFA-115 in support of both RFF-1200 in Bahrain and to the Western Pacific for the Unit Deployment Program.

At the conclusion of his time with the Silver Eagles Lieutenant Colonel McMahon joined the “Black Knights” of VMFA-314. During his time here he has served as the Pilot Training Officer, the Operations Officer, and Aircraft Maintenance Officer. As a part of the Black Knights LtCol McMahon deployed to the Western Pacific in support of the Unit Deployment Program and to Bahrain as a part of SPMAGTF-CR-CC 18.1 in support of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE.

Following his tour with VMFA-314, Maj McMahon reported to MAWTS-1 as an F/A-18 Instructor. During his time at MAWTS-1, Lieutenant Colonel McMahon served as the Marine Corps F/A-18 subject matter expert in combat systems, close air support, weaponeering, advanced combat maneuvering, and air-to-ground gunnery. During his time there he also served in the Aviation Development, Tactics and Evaluation (ADT&E) department as the Anti- Air Warfare specialist.

Lieutenant Colonel McMahon moved to MCAS Miramar and was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11 after his tour at MAWTS-1. He served as the MAG-11 Operations Officer, MAG-11 Weapons and Tactics officer, and Flight Leadership Standardization Evaluator through his time there.

Lieutenant Colonel McMahon’s designations include Weapons Tactics Instructor, Marine Division Tactics Instructor, Mission Commander, Flight Lead Standardization Evaluator, Night Systems Instructor, Division Lead, and Low Altitude Tactics Standardization Instructor.

Lieutenant Colonel McMahon’s personal decorations include the Air Medal – Strike/Flight (8thAward), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat V and three Gold Stars, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Navy Unit Commendation, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, INHERENT RESOLVE Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, and NATO Medal – ISAF Afghanistan.