Command Biographies

CDR A.J. "Face" McFarland, Chief Test Pilot, VX-31

Commander (CDR) A.J. “Face” McFarland is a native of Aurora, Illinois and a 1993 Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) graduate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautics and astronautics.  Upon commissioning aboard the USS Constitution, he stayed at MIT and earned his Master of Science degree in aeronautics and astronautics.  He attended flight school from 1995 to 1997 and subsequently completed his Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) training in F/A-18s at the Strike Fighter Squadron 125 (VFA-125) in Lemoore, California in 1998.  CDR McFarland’s Fleet tours include the Strike Fighter Squadron One Five One
(VFA-151) “Vigilantes” aboard the USS Constellation (CV-64) with Carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2) from 1998 to 2001. 

 CDR McFarland graduated from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School in December 2002.  He earned his executive master of business administration degree from the Naval Postgraduate School in 2009 during his first tour with Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).

CDR McFarland most recently served in the NAVAIR Engineering Division as the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) Class Desk Officer and directly supported the JSOW Program within the Precision Strike Weapons Program Office (PMA-201).  Therein, he was responsible for all systems engineering technical reviews and processes relating to and in support of the Acquisition Category 1 (ACAT 1C) Major Acquisition Program.

CDR McFarland’s previous NAVAIR tours include the Air Test and Evaluation Squadron THREE ZERO (VX-30) Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM-ER)/Harpoon/Joint Air‑to‑Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) Project Officer and Tomahawk Airborne Missile Flight Safety Officer from 2003 to 2004. He also toured with the Strike Fighter Squadron Nine Seven (VFA-97) “Warhawks,” who were deployed to the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS), Iwakuni, Japan, with Marine Aircraft Group 12 (MAG-12) from 2004-2005.  Next, he toured with the Air Test and Evaluation Squadron THREE ONE (VX-31) Advanced Weapons Laboratory (AWL) Military Deputy Integrated Product Team (IPT) lead/Advanced Systems Project Officer from 2005 to 2007 and the F⁄A-18 and
EA-18G Program Office (PMA-265) F/A-18 and EA-18G Radar IPT lead from 2007 to 2009.  Over the course of his career, which includes three WESTPAC deployments, CDR McFarland has flown 22 combat missions and performed 373 carrier arrested landings.

CDR McFarland assumed the duties of VX-31 Chief Test Pilot at the Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake, California, on 9 June 2011 and will become the VX-31 Commanding Officer in the December 2012 timeframe.