Command Biographies

CDR Ian "Chunx" Anderson, Executive Officer, VX-31

Commander Ian "Chunx" Anderson was born in Chicago, Illinois, but raised in the Mojave Desert city of Ridgecrest, California.  After graduating from Burroughs High School, he received a Navy ROTC scholarship and attended the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), earning a bachelors degree in Economics in December, 1985.  Having been selected for Naval Flight Officer training, he ultimately received his “wings of gold” in July of 1987 at NAS Pensacola, Florida.

Selected to fly the F-14 Tomcat, CDR Anderson reported to Fleet Replacement Squadron VF-124 at NAS Miramar, California as a student Radar Intercept Officer (RIO).  After finishing the F-14 training syllabus he was subsequently assigned to the VF-24 “Renegades.”  Flying the F-14A and later the improved F-14B, he made two deployments with VF-24 aboard the USS Nimitz to the western Pacific and Persian Gulf regions, and one deployment to the Northern Pacific.  While assigned to the “Renegades,” he contributed to the squadron’s pioneering use of the F-14 as a bombing platform, becoming one of the fleet’s first “Bombcat” aircrews in August, 1990.

In October, 1991, CDR Anderson was reassigned to the “Gunfighters” of VF-124 as an F-14 flight instructor, where he transitioned to the newer F-14D Tomcat.  In 1993 he was selected as one of four members of the Pacific Fleet F-14 Flight Demonstration team, showcasing the F-14’s aerobatic capabilities at air shows across the western United States.

At the conclusion of his tour in VF-124, CDR Anderson received orders to the “Tomcatters” of VF-31, flying the advanced F-14D as a part of Carrier Air Wing 14 aboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70).  While there he served as Weapons Training Officer and Quality Assurance Officer.

In January of 1996, CDR Anderson was selected as aide to the Commander, Naval Air Forces Pacific Fleet.   While serving at Air Pac, he cross-trained in the FA-18D, and was otherwise exposed to wide variety of naval aviation platforms, missions and programs.

In mid-1997, CDR Anderson transitioned to the EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft, in order to fill billets in newly formed land-based squadrons supporting U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Air Wings.  After training with VAQ-129, he was assigned to the newly formed VAQ-128 “Fighting Phoenix” as their Operations Officer, participating in their first two combat deployments and flying combat missions in Operation Desert Fox as well as response option air strikes in support of Operation Southern Watch from Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia.

In August of 1999, CDR Anderson reported to the VX-9 “Vampires,” the Navy’s operational test and evaluation squadron, at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California.  While there he served as Safety Officer, Operations Officer and ultimately as the Chief Operational Test Director, overseeing all operational test programs for Navy and Marine Corps tactical aircraft, weapons and avionics.  While with the Vampires CDR Anderson flew operational test missions in the FA-18F, FA-18D, EA-6B and AH-1W platforms.

In October of 2002, CDR Anderson was assigned to the staff of Carrier Strike Group Three as the Flag Air Operations Officer, crisis action planning team leader and Battle Watch Team Captain, embarked in the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70).  From January through September of 2003 he was deployed to the Western Pacific Ocean in support of the ongoing war on terrorism.

In April of 2005 CDR Anderson returned to the “Vampires” of VX-9, as the chief of operational fight test for all Navy tactical aircraft, avionics and weapons programs, primarily flying the FA-18F Super Hornet.  During this tour he led the initial operational evaluation of the revolutionary APG-79 Airborne Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, the Advanced Crew Station cockpit, aft-cockpit Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS), Shared Reconnaissance Pod (SHARP) and several other Super Hornet enhancements.

In January of 2007 CDR Anderson was selected to deploy to northern Iraq as part of the Navy’s Individual Augmentee (IA) program. Trained as an Electronic Warfare Officer, he supported the U.S. Army’s 411th and 20th Engineering Brigades in their mission of Route Clearance, seeking out and eliminating the insurgents’ weapon of choice, the improvised explosive device (IED), through October 2007.  Upon his return from combat, CDR Anderson returned to flight test duties at VX-9 as the squadron’s Executive Officer (XO).

In November of 2008, CDR Anderson reported aboard Air Test & Evaluation Squadron THREE ONE (VX-31) as the Executive Officer.

In his 25 years of naval service, CDR Anderson has logged over 3,900 flight hours and 490 arrested landings in the F-14A/B/D, EA-6B, FA-18D, FA-18F and EA-18G.  He has also logged operational flight time in the A-6E, E-2C, S-3B, ES-3A, T-45A, SH-60B, AH-1W,    F-5F, F-15D, B-52H and KC-135R.  He is a graduate of the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN), the Strike Leader Advanced Training Syllabus (SLATS) and is a distinguished graduate of the Aviation Safety Officer School in Monterey, CA.

CDR Anderson’s decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (three awards), Air Medal with combat “V” device (and one Strike Flight Award), Aerial Achievement Medal (USAF), Navy Commendation Medal (three awards), Navy Achievement Medal (two awards) and numerous unit awards.