Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Barnes was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in May 2005.  He was designated a Naval Aviator in December 2007 and reported to Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, California for initial training in the UH-1N Huey.

From April 2008 to May 2016, he served in Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadrons 267, and 369, and Marine Light Attack Helicopter Training Squadron 303. He completed UH-1Y conversion training in April 2011 and graduated Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course 1-15 in October 2014.

In May 2016 he reported to Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One aboard Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona serving as a UH-1Y instructor pilot. He was selected for transition to the MV-22B Osprey in July 2018.

From June 2019 to November 2022 Lieutenant Colonel Barnes served in Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162 and as Executive Officer of Marine Aircraft Group 26.  He served in the Commander’s Action Group, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve from December 2022 to July 2023 before reporting as Executive Officer of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point from August 2023 to November 2024.

Lieutenant Colonel Barnes returned to Marine Aircraft Group 26 in November 2024 and assumed command of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Training Squadron 204 in April 2025.

His operational deployments include the 31st, 15th, and 24th Marine Expeditionary Units, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq.

Lieutenant Colonel Barnes holds a BS in History from the Naval Academy, and a MS in Aeronautics with distinction from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.  He is a graduate of the Expeditionary Warfare School, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, and the Air War College by correspondence. He has accumulated over 3,500 flight hours and held qualifications in the UH-1N/Y, UC-35D, and MV-22B.