The U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, selected seven new officers to join the team for the 2024 air show season: three F/A-18E/F Super Hornet pilots, a C-130J Super Hercules pilot, an aviation maintenance officer, a supply officer, and a public affairs officer to replace outgoing team members.
By the start of the 2024 show season, these seven officers will join the ranks of the U.S. Navy’s most elite aviation officers, ground support officers, and enlisted maintenance personnel already serving on the team.
“The Blue Angels have established an unmatched culture of excellence over the past 77 years,” said Cdr. Alex Armatas, commanding officer and flight leader of the Blue Angels.“We are thrilled to welcome our newest team members and look forward to the opportunity to represent the United States Navy and Marine Corps in 2024 and beyond.
Each year, the Blue Angels select finalists to interview at the team’s home base of Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Fla., during the week of the Pensacola Beach Air Show; selections are made at the conclusion of that week. This year’s Pensacola Beach Air Show took place July 6-8.
The selected 2024 officers include:
F/A-18E/F Demonstration Pilots:
– Lt. Cmdr. Jack Keilty from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is currently assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 211 (VFA-211). He graduated from Virginia Military Institute in 2010.
– Lt. Wes Perkins from Georgetown, Texas, is currently assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 122 (VFA-122). He graduated from Texas A & M in 2014.
– Lt. Connor O’Donnell from Freeport, Maine, is currently assigned to Training Squadron Eight Six (VT-86). He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2015.
C-130J Demonstration Pilot:
– Capt. Isaac Becker from Austin, Texas, is currently assigned to Marine Transport Squadron 152 (VMR-152). He graduated from Colorado College in 2017.
Maintenance Officer:
– Lt. Natalia Luchetti, from Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, is currently assigned to Special Projects Patrol Squadron TWO (VPU-2). She graduated from Thomas Edison University.
Supply Officer:
– Lt.j.g. Mara Mason, from Tipp City, Ohio, is currently assigned to Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Fourteen (HM-14). She graduated from Ohio State University in 2018.
Public Affairs Officer:
– Lt Ben Bushong, from Hagerstown, Maryland, is currently assigned to USS Nimitz (CVN 68). He graduated from North Carolina State University in 2012.
New team members will report to the squadron in September for a two-month turnover period. Upon completion of the 2023 show season, which concludes in November with the Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show at NAS Pensacola, the team will embark on a rigorous five-month training program at NAS Pensacola and Naval Air Facility El Centro, Calif.
The mission of the Blue Angels is to showcase the teamwork and professionalism of the United States Navy and Marine Corps through flight demonstrations and community outreach while in-spiring a culture of excellence and service to country.
