Erik Sprague graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in
May 2000 with a Bachelor of Science in Ocean Engineering and was commissioned a
Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps.
Lieutenant Sprague attended The Basic School and Aviation
Preflight Indoctrination (API) in 2001. He
began Primary flight training with the VT-27 Boomers in Corpus Christi,
TX. Lieutenant Sprague conducted
Advanced flight training with the VT-22 Golden Eagles in Kingsville, TX and
received his “Wings of Gold” on 24 January 2003. Lieutenant Sprague attended SERE School in
March 2003, then flew with VMFAT-101 as an F/A-18 Fleet Replacement Pilot at
MCAS Miramar, CA.
Lieutenant Sprague joined the VMFA-314 Black Knights
at MCAS Miramar in April 2004, promoted to Captain, and deployed to WestPac. Captain Sprague earned his Section Lead
Designation and became an Air Combat Tactics Instructor (ACTI). Captain Sprague served as VMFA-314’s
Powerline OIC, Quality Assurance Officer, MAG Operations Augment, Scheduling
Officer, and Intelligence OIC. Captian
Sprague left VMFA-314 in July 2007 to attend Expeditionary Warfare School in
Quantico, VA.
In May 2008, Captain Sprague checked into Marine
Aviation Training Support Group (MATSG-22) at NAS Corpus Christi, TX to become
a flight instructor for the Naval Air Training Command (NATC). The MATSG Commanding Officer assigned him to
the VT-28 Rangers to represent the Marine F/A-18 community as the only Primary flight
instructor with a TACAIR background in Corpus Christi. In September 2009, Captain Sprague was reassigned
to the VT-21 Redhawks in Kingsville, TX as a T-45A/C flight instructor, where he promoted
to Major. Major Sprague departed the
NATC with 1100 flight hours in the three years as an IP.
Major Sprague executed orders in July 2011 to MCAS
Iwakuni, Japan to become the MWSS-171 Airfield Operations Company Commander. He attended Weapons & Tactics Instructor
(WTI) Class 1-12 at MAWTS-1, returning as the Aviation Ground Support Honor
Graduate. In March 2012, Major Sprague
assumed duties as the MWSS-171 Executive Officer, facilitating the transfer of
MWSS-171 as a subordinate command from MWSG-17 to MAG-12 through the Force
Structure Review Group (FSRG).
Major Sprague transferred to MAG-12 as the Future
Operations Officer in June 2013, planning three major exercises in Korea,
Malaysia, and Guam. In January 2014, he was
assigned to the VMFA(AW)-242 Bats as the Executive Officer and subsequently as
the Logistics Officer, executing five squadron & MAG-level deployments to
Thailand, Australia, Guam, & Okinawa.
His designations include F/A-18 Division Lead & Section Lead.