Lieutenant Colonel Andrew D’Ambrogi grew up in Santa Rosa, California and graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a B.S. in Civil Structural Engineering. He was commissioned in December of 2003 through Officer Candidate School, and then graduated The Basic School in July of 2004. In 2004 he reported to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida for Aviation Preflight Indoctrination. Following Pensacola, he was given orders to Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas for advanced flight training where he was winged as a Naval Aviator in July of 2006 and selected to fly the AV-8B Harrier.

Upon completion of AV-8B Harrier fleet replacement pilot training, 1stLt D’Ambrogi reported to Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona where he served with VMA-211 from September 2007 to September 2011. While at VMA-211 he was promoted to the rank of Captain. Captain D’Ambrogi deployed in support of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit from January 2009 to September 2009 taking part in multinational theater cooperation exercises and force posturing for the PACOM area of operations.  After returning from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, Captain D’Ambrogi progressed through advanced flight qualifications and attended the Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course.  After graduating WTI Captain D’Ambrogi deployed in support of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit from February 2011 to September 2011 directly supporting national tasking and combat contingency operations.  While in VMA-211, Captain Andrew D’Ambrogi held billets as the Administrative Officer-In-Charge (OIC), Adjutant, Power Line OIC, Quality Assurance Officer, Weapons and Tactics Instructor, Pilot Training Officer, and Assistant Operations Officer.

In September of 2011 Captain D’Ambrogi reported to Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1 (MAWTS-1) as an instructor in the AV-8B division.  While at MAWTS-1 he was promoted to the rank of Major.  Major D’Ambrogi worked in the AV-8B division of MAWTS-1 from 2011 to 2013, and from 2013 to 2014 worked in the Aviation Development of Tactics and Evaluation (ADT&E) department of MAWTS-1 as the Fixed Wing Offensive Air Support Specialist where he oversaw the integration of tactics, technology, and advanced weapons and coordinated USMC aviation integrated tactical demonstrations.  While at MAWTS-1, Major D’Ambrogi supported VMA-211 in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2012; he served as an augment combat flight leader and also integrated new weapons and systems for initial combat concepts of employment in theater.

In June of 2014 Major D’Ambrogi became the Marine Aircrew and Training Systems Site (MATSS) OIC at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, AZ where he was in charge of all MAG-13 fleet support requirements by MAWTS-1, building and training replacement aircrew, as well as training pilots for advanced instructor qualifications, and augmenting VMFT-401 as an adversary pilot.  Major D’Ambrogi also augmented VMA-211 in 2015 as a combat flight leader and instructor during their combat deployment in support of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) in the Middle East.

In June 2015, Major D’Ambrogi became the Executive Officer of Marine Attack Squadron 214. In February 2016 Major D’Ambrogi deployed as the AV-8B Detachment OIC of VMA-214 Det-A in support of the 13th MEU.  The detachment flew over 1200 hours while deployed, of which nearly a third were in direct support of combat operations and supported OIR.  The detachment operated off of the USS Boxer and operated land-based out of Al Udeid Air Base Qatar as a standalone VMA detachment conducting combat operations.  Post-deployment Major D’Ambrogi served as the Aviation Maintenance Officer for VMA-214 until May 2017.

From June 2017 through October 2019, Major D’Ambrogi was the F-35 Strategy and Integration Officer of the Headquarters Marine Corps Aviation (HQMC AVN) F-35 Branch where he was responsible for F-35 integration of the USMC TACAIR transition, USMC F-35 site stand up, F-35 deployment and shipboard integration, as well as training and integration for the US F-35B deployment with the UK’s Carrier Strike Group 21 on the HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH in 2021.

Lieutenant Colonel D’Ambrogi completed USMC F-35B transition flight training at MCAS Beaufort, SC in 2020. Lieutenant Colonel D’Ambrogi’s previous flight qualifications included all advanced AV-8B flight leadership designations and instructor qualifications, as well as F-5 adversary leadership qualifications from two years of augmenting the USMC VMFT-401 Snipers; he is also a Training Landing Signals Officer (LSO).  His personal decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with Gold Star, Air Medal with bronze numeral three, Navy Commendation Medal with Gold Star, Navy Achievement Medal with Gold Star, and has been a part of four Navy Meritorious Units.