Lieutenant Colonel David A. Hirt graduated from Wheaton College (Illinois) in 2003 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 2007 after attending the Officer Candidate Course. After graduating from The Basic School in July 2008, he attended Aviation Preflight Indoctrination in Pensacola, Florida, and completed Primary and Advanced Flight School at Naval Air Station Whiting Field. Lieutenant Colonel Hirt was designated a Naval Aviator in July 2010 and reported to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Training Squadron 303 for initial training in the AH-1W Cobra.
Lieutenant Colonel Hirt was then assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 369, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3d Marine Aircraft Wing from April 2011 to May 2016. During this tour, he served as the AH-1 Pilot Training Officer, Future Operations Officer, and Tactics Officer and deployed with the squadron to Camp Bastion, Helmand Province, Afghanistan from November 2011 to May 2012 in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM. Lieutenant Colonel Hirt converted to the AH-1Z in 2013 and attended Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course 2-14 the following spring at Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) in Yuma, AZ.
In June 2016, Lieutenant Colonel Hirt reported to MAWTS-1 to serve as an AH-1Z Instructor Pilot. Lieutenant Colonel Hirt attended the Tactical Air Control Party school in November 2016 and was subsequently designated as a Forward Air Controller.
Following his tour at MAWTS-1, Lieutenant Colonel Hirt reported to the Marine Raider Regiment in North Carolina for duty as the Regiment Air/Fires Officer from July 2019 to June 2021. During this tour, Lieutenant Colonel Hirt deployed with Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE from November 2020 to April 2021 as the Air/Fires and Joint Effects Officer.
In June 2021, Lieutenant Colonel Hirt reported to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 269, Marine Aircraft Group 29, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing. Lieutenant Colonel Hirt served as the squadron’s Operations Officer and Executive Officer until the squadron’s deactivation in December 2022. Following the squadron’s deactivation, he served as the MAG-29 Assistant Operations Officer until June 2023.
Lieutenant Colonel Hirt next reported to The Basic School for duty as the Executive Officer from July 2023 to April 2024. Lieutenant Colonel Hirt received follow-on orders to MAG-29 at MCAS New River, North Carolina and assumed command of HMLA-167 in June of 2024.
Lieutenant Colonel Hirt’s personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with Strike Flight Numeral 4, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Gold Star in lieu of third award, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.