Lieutenant Colonel Brian Charles Hampton, United States Marine Corps, is a native of Fairview Heights, Illinois. Raised in an Air Force family, he spent his formative years living in multiple locations worldwide with his family – parents, Charles and Tonie, and brothers, Shawn and Bradley. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in May 2007 with a Bachelors of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.
Following commissioning, 2ndLt Hampton reported to The Basic School and subsequently entered the Naval Flight Training pipeline at NAS Pensacola. He was designated a Naval Aviator in October 2010 and selected to fly the AH-1W Super Cobra. He was promoted to 1stLt in May 2009 and to Capt in May 2011.
In February 2012, Capt Hampton reported to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367 (HMLA-367), “Scarface,” initially stationed at Camp Pendleton, California, before the squadron’s relocation to Marine Corps Base Hawaii later that year. During his tenure, he served as the Communications, Logistics, Airframes, and Ordnance division OICs, while progressing through key flight qualifications including Aircraft Commander, Section Leader, and Weapons Training Officer. During his time with Scarface he deployed twice to Okinawa in support of 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit operations.
In February 2016, Capt Hampton reported to Marine Aviation Training Support Group-21 at NAS Pensacola and was assigned to Fixed Wing Training Squadron Ten (VT-10), “Wildcats,” as a fixed-wing flight instructor. In July 2018, Capt Hampton was selected for assignment to the Fixed Wing Instructor Pilot Unit as the Instrument Standards Officer, where he was responsible for training and certifying newly designated instructor pilots.
In August 2019, Major Hampton was assigned to Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade at Naval Support Activity, Bahrain, as the Deputy Air Officer. During this tour, he planned and executed multiple joint and combined exercises, led Air Force Agile Combat Employment integration efforts, introduced Air Operations in Maritime Surface Warfare to MARCENT, and served as the principle Joint Air Officer for the 2021 Afghanistan Non-Combatant Evacuation Operation (NEO), the largest NEO in U.S. Military history. Evacuating over 124,000 civilians.
In 2021, Maj Hampton was selected to covert from the 7565 military occupational specialty (MOS) to the 7315 Marine Unmanned Aircraft Systems Officer MOS. He reported to Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron Two (VMU-2), “Nightowls,” at MCAS Cherry Point in October 2021, where he served as Director of Safety and Standardization, Operations Officer, and as the Executive Officer.
In October 2023, Maj Hampton reported to Headquarters Marine Corps, Aerial Weapons Systems–Unmanned Aircraft Systems (AWS-UAS) in the Pentagon, where he served as the MQ-9A Transition Task Force Lead and MQ-9A Life-Cycle Manager. In this role, he led enterprise-wide DOTMLPF-P integration; modernization planning for MQ-9A Increment I and II capabilities; sustainment and manpower optimization across VMU and VMUT squadrons; interservice agreements with the United States Air Force and Air National Guard; and executive-level strategic planning that informed program priorities, funding profiles, and acquisition timelines.
In August 2025, LtCol (sel) Hampton was selected to command of Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Training Squadron Two (VMUT-2) in the summer of 2026 and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in December 2025.
LtCol Hampton’s personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal with Combat “C,” the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Gold Star, and various campaign, service, and unit awards. LtCol Hampton is a graduate of Command and Staff College, Expeditionary Warfare School, Joint Targeting School, Aviation Safety Officer Course, Crew Resource Management Instructor Course, and the Commanding Formal Schools Course.