Lieutenant Colonel Thomas enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in 2006 as a 3531 Motor Vehicle Officer. After completing recruit training in Mike Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion he reported for duty at 6th Communication Battalion in Brooklyn, New York. In May of 2007 Lieutenant Colonel Thomas completed Officer Candidate School and subsequently graduated from Hofstra University in 2008 with a B.A. Degree in Film Studies and Production. He then attended The Basic School (TBS), graduating in October 2009 and completed Assault Amphibian School in April of 2010.
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas next reported to Company D, 2d Assault Amphibian Battalion (2d AABn) to serve as Platoon Commander for Second Platoon. Following a deployment in support of AFRICA PARTNERSHIP STATION 2011, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas assumed command of Company B, 2d AABn. Upon relinquishing command in August of 2012, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas served as Operations Officer and Deputy Officer-In-Charge of a Security Force Assistance Advisor Team. He deployed to Sangin, Afghanistan in January 2013 in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM. Lieutenant Colonel Thomas redeployed in August of 2013 and reported to the S3, 2nd AABn as the Assistant Operations Officer.
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas' other operational assignments include: Commanding Officer, Headquarters and Services Company, 2d AABn from 2016-2017, Commanding Officer, Company B, 2d AABn from 2017-2018; Assistant Future Operations Officer, 4th Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division from 2018-2020, during which time he served as, Officer-in-Charge of BLUE SEA MARINE CORPS 18, Deputy Officer-in-Charge for exercise TIGER STRIKE 19, lead planner for KAMANDAG 3 and Assistant Operations Officer for exercise NORTHERN VIPER 20. Following his time with the S3, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas assumed command of Headquarters and Services Company, 4th Marine Regiment from 2020-2021. In 2021 Major Thomas reported to 3d AABn, 1st Marine Division to serve as Logistics Officer from 2021-2022. In June of 2022 Lieutenant Colonel Thomas assumed the duties of Executive Officer, 3d AABn a position he held until April of 2023. Subsequently, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas was selected as the I Marine Expeditionary Force Staff Secretary, a position he held from May 2023 to June 2024.
Outside of the Operating forces Lieutenant Colonel Thomas served at TBS as a Warfighting Instructor and Staff Platoon Commander. He is currently serving as Executive Officer, Assault Amphibian School.
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas is a graduate of Maneuver Captains Career Course (Fort Benning Georgia, 2014), Marine Corps Command and Staff College (Non-Resident, 2020). In 2023 he graduated with a Masters in Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University (2023).