Captain Billingslea was raised in Atlanta, GA, and is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in 1989 with a B.S. in Physics. He was designated a Naval Flight Officer in November 1990 and selected for training as a Bombardier/Navigator in the A-6E Intruder. He recently completed a successful tour as the Commanding Officer of the Auburn and Tuskegee University NROTC Consortium (2016-2020). Captain Billingslea served on numerous major staff and teams, from the OPNAV staff (N2/N6) as the Navy’s Combat Identification Capabilities Organization Director to NAVCENT’s (Fifth Fleet) Future Plans Cell and Theater Security Cooperation Director/Exercise Director. In addition to traditional Navy roles, Captain Billingslea has also served with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan as the Commanding Officer of the joint service multi-agency Provincial Reconstruction Team Khost, in which his unit earned the Army’s Valorous Unit Award. Finally, he has served as the Commanding Officer of an aviation training squadron (Training Squadron FOUR) and won numerous awards during that tour.  He earned his Master’s Degree in Aviation Systems from the University of Tennessee, Space Institute, during off-duty study. Following this tour, he completed his Department Head tour in an Expeditionary Prowler squadron, VAQ-142. Subsequent to being promoted to Commander, he attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, earning an M.S. in National Resource Strategy with a specialty in Acquisition. Upon graduating from War College, he deployed on his first Individual Augmentee (I.A.) to CENTCOM’s Combined Air Operations Center in the billet as the Chief of Combat Operations. Following his I.A., he became the Commanding Officer of VT-4, where he directed the training of future Naval Flight and Weapon System Officers in primary and intermediate aviation skills. Throughout his aviation career, Captain Billingslea has accumulated over 2,500 flight hours in over 40+ aircraft, including the A-6E Intruder, EA-6B Prowler, F-18F Super Hornet, Mirage 2000, GR-1 Tornado, and F-16CJ. He is a proud Sailor with over seven deployments. His operational experience includes cruises in the Mediterranean, Western Pacific, Indian Ocean, and the Middle East. Captain Billingslea’s awards include being named the 2001 Test Wing Atlantic Test Naval Flight Officer of the Year as well as earning a Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Army’s Combat Action Badge, three Meritorious Service Medals, four Strike Flight Air Medals, the Joint Commendation Medal, two Navy Commendation Medals, five Navy Achievement Medals and a number of campaign and service decorations.