Lieutenant Colonel Christopher J. Merrick is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and attended the University of New Mexico on an NROTC scholarship where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and commissioned in May 2009. Upon completion of The Basic School he completed Aviation Preflight Indoctrination at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Undergraduate Pilot Training at Vance Air Force Base, and Advanced Pilot Training at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. He was designated a Naval Aviator in December 2011.
Once complete with Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Training (SERE), Lieutenant Colonel Merrick reported to the KC-130J Aviation Training Unit followed by Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252 (VMGR-252). He immediately deployed to Trapani, Italy and Djibouti, Africa in support of contingency operations following the 2012 Benghazi Embassy attack. He was then qualified on the Harvest Hercules Airborne Weapons Kit (Harvest HAWK) and deployed to Camp Bastion, Afghanistan where he flew close air support and assault support missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom 13.2.
Upon returning from the deployment, Lieutenant Colonel Merrick was selected to be the Aide-de-Camp to the Commanding General of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. Lieutenant Colonel Merrick was then selected to be the Marine Officer Instructor (MOI) at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. During his time as the MOI, he served as a Platoon Commander at the Officer Candidate School in Quantico, VA and attended the Expeditionary Warfare School Blended Seminar at Camp Lejeune, NC.
Following his tour at Embry-Riddle, Lieutenant Colonel Merrick returned to VMGR-252 where he served as the Assistant Operations Officer, and held various instructor qualifications. He was among the first four operational pilots to qualify on the Harvest HAWK Plus, an upgraded version of the weapons kit. He then deployed as the KC-130J Detachment Executive Officer to Moron, Spain in support of the Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force, Crisis Response Africa 20.2
Upon returning from the deployment, Lieutenant Colonel Merrick was selected to be the Commanding Officer of Recruiting Station Indianapolis. Upon successful completion of his tour, Lieutenant Colonel Merrick reported to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352 where he served as the Aircraft Maintenance Officer and the Executive Officer. Following this assignment, Lieutenant Colonel Merrick reported to the 3d Marine Expeditionary7 Brigade to serve as the Air Officer, and responded to disaster relief operations in the Philippines following Typhoon Fung Wong. Lieutenant Colonel Merrick was then selected to become the Commanding Officer of Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron Iwakuni.
Lieutenant Colonel Merrick's personal decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal-Strike/Flight (5), the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (3), and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (3). He has flown over 2,100 mishap-free flight hours in the KC-130J, UC-35D, and the UC-12W.