Lieutenant Colonel David A. Hirt graduated from Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL) in 2003 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 2007 after attending the Officer Candidate Course. After graduating from The Basic School in July of 2008, he attended Aviation Pre-Flight Indoctrination in Pensacola, Florida, and completed Primary and Advanced Flight School at Naval Air Station Whiting Field. Lieutenant Colonel Hirt was designated a Naval Aviator in July 2010 and reported to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Training Squadron 303 to learn to fly the AH-1W Cobra.

Lieutenant Colonel Hirt was then assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 369, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3d Marine Aircraft Wing from April 2011 to May 2016. During this tour, he served as the AH-1 Pilot Training Officer, Future Operations Officer, and Tactics Officer. He deployed to Camp Bastion, Helmand Province Afghanistan from November 2011 to May 2012 in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM. In 2013, Lieutenant Colonel Hirt converted to the AH-1Z and was a graduate of the Weapons and Tactics Instructor course 2-14 at Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron – One in Yuma, AZ.

Lieutenant Colonel Hirt next reported to Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) in Yuma, Arizona in June of 2016. While at MAWTS-1, Lieutenant Colonel Hirt served as an AH-1Z Instructor Pilot, the AH-1 Operations Representative, and as the Forward Air Controller (Airborne) Subject Matter Expert. Lieutenant Colonel Hirt attended and graduated with honors from Tactical Air Control Party school in November of 2016 and was subsequently designated as a Forward Air Controller.

Lieutenant Colonel Hirt was next assigned to the Marine Raider Regiment in North Carolina from July 2019 to June 2021 for duty as the Air/Fires Officer. During this tour, Lieutenant Colonel Hirt deployed with Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE from November 2020 to April 2021 as the Air/Fires and Joint Effects Officer.

In June of 2021, Lieutenant Colonel Hirt reported to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 269, Marine Aircraft Group 29, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing. Lieutenant Colonel Hirt served as the squadron’s Operations Officer and Executive Officer until the squadron’s deactivation in December of 2022. Following the squadron’s deactivation, he served as the Assistant Operations Officer for MAG-29 until June of 2023.

Lieutenant Colonel Hirt assumed the duties of Executive Officer at The Basic School in July of 2023.

Lieutenant Colonel Hirt’s personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with Strike Flight Numeral 4, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Gold Star in Lieu of 3rd award, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.