Thomas Szczepanski
Lieutenant Commander
Naval Air Wing 3 "Graf Zeppelin" Base Group

Academic degree: Bachelor of Science in Engineering

Unit / Department: Base Group / Naval Air Wing 3 “Graf Zeppelin”

Military career:

02.07.2001

Start of service, 5th Air Force Training Regiment 3, Bayreuth

2001–2002

Officer Training, 1st / OSLw, Fürstenfeldbruck

2002–2005

Degree in Aerospace Engineering, University of Applied Sciences, Munich

11.10.2005

Transfer to UTB Marine

2006

Training courses, Navy Officer (Grade A)

2006–2007

Initial Flight Training, 9th / OSLw, Fürstenfeldbruck

2007–2009

Flight Training, 4th / LTG62, Lufthansa Flight Training
Bremen

2009

P-3C Orion Type Rating Training, VP-30, Jacksonville, FL

2010

P-3C Orion Type Conversion Training, Training Staff / MFG3 “GZ”, Nordholz

2011–2015

Co-pilot of a P-3C Orion, 2nd Squadron / MFG-3 “GZ”, Nordholz

2015

Patrol Plane Commander P-3C Orion, 2nd / MFG3 “GZ”, Nordholz

2015–2016

S3 Officer, Wing Staff / MFG3 “GZ”, Nordholz

2016–2018

Participants in LGAN 2016. FüAkBw, Hamburg

2018–2021

S3 Staff Officer, Commander of Air Operations and Deputy Commander of the Air Group / MFG3 “GZ”, Nordholz

2021–2023

Advisor, Strategic Control Division, Maritime and Coastal Affairs, Federal Ministry of Defense, Planning Directorate I 3, Bonn

since 2023

Commander, StPktGrp / MFG3 “GZ”, Nordholz

Promotions:

01.07.2004

Second Lieutenant

01.01.2007

Lieutenant (Navy)

21.05.2012

Lieutenant Commander

28.07.2016

Lieutenant Commander

24.05.2019

Lieutenant Commander

Foreign assignments (year)/positions:

2011; P-3C Pilot; 1st P-3C Squadron, Djibouti, Operation ATALANTA

2011; P-3C Pilot; 1st P-3C Squadron, Djibouti, Operation ATALANTA

2012; P-3C Pilot; 1st P-3C Squadron, Djibouti, Operation ATALANTA

2015; S3 & LtrFlgBetr EinsGrp1P-3C

2019; Commander 29th German Task Force, EUNAVFOR Somalia Operation ATALANTA

2020–2021; Commander, 3rd German Task Force, EUNAVFOR Med Operation IRINI

Hobbies:

Shooting sports, reading, astrophotography, electronics/model building, motorcycling