Lieutenant Colonel Adam R. Desy is a native of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 2000 at the age of 17 and served in the Infantry as a Rifleman and Scout Sniper. Throughout his time in the Infantry, he deployed in support of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and Operation Iraqi Freedom with 2nd Battalion 5th Marines. Following his enlistment, he attended and subsequently graduated from Concordia University in 2007 and earned a commission in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Major Desy reported to Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Florida for Aviation Preflight Indoctrination in August 2008. He completed primary flight training in the T-34 at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas in July 2009. He subsequently completed intermediate and advanced flight training in the T-45A Goshawk at NAS Kingsville, Texas, and earned his wings in December 2010.
Major Desy then reported to Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 101, at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar, California for initial training in the F/A-18 A-D Hornet. In August 2012, he was selected to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 323, also at MCAS Miramar where he served as a Schedules Officer, Logistics and Communications Officer, Quality Assurance Officer, Night Systems Instructor and Landing Signals Officer. Major Desy completed an Arabian Gulf Deployment in 2013 with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11 aboard USS Nimitz (CVN 68) and flew in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. In 2015, he deployed in support of the Unit Deployment Program where he participated in theater security cooperation activities throughout the Asia-Pacific.
In June 2016, Major Desy reported to 1st Marine Raider Support Battalion, Marine Forces Special Operations Command at Camp Pendleton, California to serve as the Fires Control Platoon Commander and Air/Fires Officer. He subsequently deployed to the Middle East in August 2017 in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
Major Desy then reported to Marine Fighter Training Squadron 401 at MCAS Yuma, Arizona in May 2018 for duties as an Adversary Pilot in the F-5 Tiger II. He served as the Operations Detachment Planner, Adversary Weapons and Tactics Instructor, Operations Officer and Aircraft Maintenance Officer.
In July 2021, Major Desy was selected on the Commandant’s Professional Intermediate-Level Education Board to attend the Joint Command and Staff Program at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Shortly after graduation in July 2022, Major Desy reported to VMFA-115 at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina where he currently serves as the Executive Officer.
Major Desy has a Bachelor’s Degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec and a Master’s Degree from the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario. Major Desy is also a graduate of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College.