Capt. Chris “Chowdah” Hill
Commanding Officer USS Arlington (LPD 24)
23 November 2020
Capt. Chris “Chowdah” Hill is a native of Quincy, Massachusetts. He is a 1996 magna cum laude graduate of Tufts University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, a 2006 honors graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service with a Master of Arts in Security Studies, and a 2016 graduate of the Naval Nuclear Power Training program. He commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps program and received his wings of gold as a naval flight officer in 1997.
Hill's operational assignments include his initial tour as a naval flight officer with the Seahawks of VAW-126 from 1998-2001, where he participated in Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, DESERT FOX, and DELIBERATE FORGE; weapons and tactics instructor for the Bear Aces of VAW-124 in 2004; department head for the Liberty Bells of VAW-115 from 2007-2009; he returned to VAW-124 from 2012-2014, serving as the executive officer and commanding officer while participating in Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and INHERENT RESOLVE; and served as the executive officer aboard USS GEORGE W. BUSH (CVN 77) from 2017-2019, one again participating in Operation INHERENT RESOLVE.
His shore assignments include the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) from 2001-2003 as a command and control instructor and editor from the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center Journal; the Joint Staff from 2009-2011 as a threat analyst for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and editor of the Guardian Antiterrorism Journal; and as a staff member for the Chief of Naval Operations in 2015, serving as the special programs requirements officer for the director of air warfare.
His decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (four awards), Air Medal (four awards), Navy Commendation Medal (four awards), Navy Achievement Medal and various other personal, unit and campaign awards. He was selected as the E-2C Hawkeye Naval Flight Officer of the Year in 2001 and received the MacArthur Foundation Award for his writing a student at the Joint Forces Staff College in 2014.