Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay
Lieutenant Colonel Michael P. Cicchi
United States Marine Corps
Lieutenant Colonel Michael P. Cicchi is originally from Grimes, Iowa. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in 2002. He completed The Basic School in 2003 and subsequently completed flight school in 2005.
Following his winging, LtCol Cicchi completed training in the AV-8B Harrier and was assigned to VMA-231 in Cherry Point, North Carolina. While serving with the Ace of Spades, LtCol Cicchi deployed to Iraq in 2007, and held multiple billets in the Operations Department. Upon return from deployment, he moved to VMA-542 and deployed to Afghanistan with HMH-365 (REIN) and the 24th MEU in 2008.
In the summer of 2009, LtCol Cicchi completed training as a Forward Air Controller and transferred to Fox Company, 2d Marine Special Operations Battalion at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He deployed with Fox Company to Afghanistan in the fall of 2010. Following this assignment, LtCol Cicchi returned to Cherry Point to be a flight instructor at VMAT-203. During this tour, he held multiple billets in the Operations Department and completed the MAWTS-1 Weapons and Tactics Instructor course.
After his tour as an instructor pilot, LtCol Cicchi completed resident Intermediate Level School at Marine Corps University, where he also earned his Masters of Military Studies. He subsequently moved to Yuma, Arizona to serve as the Operations officer for VMA-214 from 2015 through 2017, which included a deployment to Japan in support of III MEF and the 31st MEU. For his final year in Yuma, LtCol Cicchi was the OIC for MATSS Yuma.
From the summer of 2018 through the fall of 2020, LtCol Cicchi was the Future Operations Officer for 1st MAW in Okinawa, Japan. He then moved to Hawaii to assume command of MCAS Kaneohe Bay.
LtCol Cicchi’s personal decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Navy Commendation Medal with combat “V”, Navy Achievement Medal, and Combat Action Ribbon.