Having been commissioned as an Ensign in the Navy in 1992, CMDR Kevin Harms embarked on a 20-year active duty career. His first duty station was at the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps Unit at the University of Illinois where Kevin was a graduate student and earned a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. After graduation, CMDR Harms proceeded to Naval Air Station Pensacola, FL to await Navy Flight School. In the meantime, he served as a lifeguard at the Water Survival Training Center. CMDR Kevin Harms attended aviation preflight indoctrination at Pensacola, where he earned academic distinction. Kevin then transferred to the Navy Air Station Whiting Field, FL for primary flight training in the T-34C. After primary training, CMDR Harms was selected for intermediate and advanced strike flight training in jets, the T-2C and T-45A. After completing these pipelines, Kevin was designated a naval aviator and proceeded to the West Coast and Navy Air Station Lemoore, CA for training in the F/A-18 Hornet. After qualification in the Hornet, CMDR Harms was assigned to the Argonauts of VFA-147, where he deployed twice in support of Operation Southern Watch in Iraq. Kevin was a Landing Signals Officer and was one of few first tour aviators to qualify as a division instructor pilot and was selected to attend Navy Fighter Weapons School. Kevin served as the West Coast Navy air-to-air employment and counter electronic attack subject matter expert and was also one of the first to become an expert in the advanced Link 16 joint tactical information distribution systems or data link, which he helped integrate into Navy Carrier Air Wing operations. CMDR Kevin Harms served as a department head in the first Navy Super Hornet squadron, VFA-115. He earned a Master of Arts from the Navy War College and served as Plans Branch Chief at U.S. Special Operations Command before reporting to VFA-137 as Executive and Commanding Officer. CMDR Harms is finishing active duty as the Navy West Coast F-35C Site Activation Lead.