Captain Kyle Hayhurst earned his commission from the United States Naval Academy where he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Oceanography in May 2010. Upon graduation he coached for the Naval Academy Sprint Football team and served as the Defensive Line and Special Teams Coordinator. In January he reported to MCB Quantico for The Basic School and graduated in May 2011. Upon graduation he reported to Naval Air Station Pensacola to conduct Aviation Preflight Indoctrination and in January 2012 he reported to VT-6 aboard Naval Air Station Whiting field for Primary Flight training in the T-6B Texan aircraft where he earned top Academic Honors in his class. In February 2013 he reported to Helicopter Training Squadron 8 to conduct flight training in the TH-57B and TH-57C Sea Ranger. Upon completion of flight training, Captain Hayhurst earned the top Marine in his class and was winged a Naval Aviator in September 2013. After winging he reported to HMLAT-303 aboard MCAS Camp Pendleton and began flying the UH-1Y Huey helicopter. He served in Operations as a flight officer and in the Human Affairs office as the Financial officer, Assistant Substance Abuse Control Officer, Suicide Prevention officer, Voting Assistance officer, and the Education officer. As a result, Captain Hayhurst earned the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for his efforts. He also served as the 11th MEU and SPMAGTF S3 Air Officer and Targeting Officer for Operation Dawn Blitz from August-September 2015. Captain Hayhurst was medically transitioned from Class 1 to Class 4 aviation and became a part of the unmanned aviation realm in the USMC. Capt Hayhurst attended and successfully completed the USMC Unmanned Aircraft Commander Course 16-002 at Fort Huachuca, Arizona and became NATOPS qualified as a UAC for the RQ-7BV2 Shadow Group 3 Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System. As a result, he was one of six officers in the USMC selected for the FY-17 Unmanned Aircraft Systems Officer PMOS 7315 selection board. Additionally, Capt Hayhurst has attended PMA-263 Training and Logistics Squadron (TALSA) West training aboard MCB Camp Pendleton and is qualified as an Air Vehicle Operator and Mission Payload Operator on the RQ-20A Puma Group 1 Small Unmanned Aircraft System (SUAS). He is also currently a SUAS Program Manager for PMA-263 TALSA. In June 2016, Captain Hayhurst received orders to Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 4 (VMU-4) and joined the active duty Inspector Instructor staff as the S-4 officer in charge and Operations Officer. At VMU-4, Captain Hayhurst became NATOPS qualified as an Unmanned Aircraft Commander for the RQ-7B Shadow and RQ-21 Blackjack Unmanned Aircraft Systems and is currently an instructor on the RQ-21. In May of 2017, Capt Hayhurst was one of twenty USMC officers selected to attend the Space 200 course at the National Security Space Institute (NSSI) in Colorado Springs, CO. Upon completion, he was designated a Space Operations Staff Officer in the United States Marine Corps space cadre. Capt Hayhurst is a Distinguished Graduate of the non-resident Expeditionary Warfare School and is working towards his Masters of Leadership Studies from Marshall University. He has been awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. He has completed the USMC Regional Cultural and Language Familiarization Training program for USMC Captains and Majors for Central Asia and the corresponding Russian Headstart 2 Language Training program. Capt Hayhurst is also an FAA Certified Commercial Pilot with an instrument rating in both single engine fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. Finally, Capt Hayhurst is Lean Six Sigma Yellow and Green Belt trained.