Team Lead, Lead Engineer
Lieutenant Commander Jake “Rusty” Staub hails from Addison, Illinois and graduated with distinction from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1998. While at the Naval Academy he was accepted into the Volunteer Graduate Education Program (VGEP) allowing him to graduate from the University of Maryland with a Professional Master of Engineering degree in 1998.
LCDR Staub commenced flight training shortly after graduation and eventually earned the wings of a Naval Aviator in October 2001 while stationed at NAS Meridian, Mississippi. Follow-on orders were issued to VAQ-129 for Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) training as a pilot in the EA-6B Prowler. Post FRS training, LCDR Staub was assigned to the VAQ-138 Yellow Jackets where he completed two cruises as a member of Carrier Air Wing 9 aboard the USS Carl Vinson. During his second cruise VAQ-138 flew in direct support of Operation Iraqi Freedom combat operations.
Following his tour at VAQ-138, LCDR Staub graduated from the US Naval Test Pilot School in December of 2006 and was assigned to the EA-6B Prowler and the Carrier Suitability Departments of VX-23 as a Test Pilot and Project Officer. He has been a project pilot and/or a project officer for fixed wing projects for EA-6B, F/A-18A-D, F/A-18E/F, and EA-18G aircraft. Additionally, LCDR Staub has led and participated in numerous Precision Approach Landing System certification detachments in support of fleet operations.
LCDR Staub has been awarded two Naval Achievement Medals and an Air Medal Strike/Flight. “Rusty” has over 300 carrier arrested landings in 4 aircraft and over 1,600 hours in 28 aircraft.
