Lieutenant Colonel Jack “Chili” Guevara graduated from the United States Naval Academy in May 2007 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science. After completing The Basic School and flight training, he was designated a Naval Aviator in August of 2009.
1stLt Guevara was assigned to HMLAT-303 Atlas for initial training in the AH-1W SuperCobra. First Lieutenant Guevara attended SERE training and was assigned to HMLA-267 Stingers, where he served as an operations schedule writer and flight officer.
In 2011 he deployed with HMM-163(REIN) Evil Eyes as part of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard the USS Boxer (LHD-4).
Captain Guevara was then assigned to HMLA-469 Vengeance and deployed to Afghanistan in 2012, while serving as the Assistant Logistics Officer. Based out of Camp Bastion / Leatherneck, Helmand Province, he flew over 300 mishap free combat flight hours in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Upon returning from Afghanistan, Captain Guevara attended Aviation Safety Officer (ASO) school and graduated from the MAWTS-1 Weapons & Tactics Instructor (WTI) course, subsequently serving as the squadron ASO and Cobra Pilot Training Officer.
In 2014 he deployed on the Unit Deployment Program to Okinawa, Japan. Captain Guevara served as the Assistant, then Operations Officer for HMH-361(REIN) Flying Tigers, a joint AH-1W & CH-53E squadron, sending detachments to South Korea and the Philippines.
In 2015 Captain Guevara completed his active duty service and enrolled at Columbia Business School in New York, NY, graduating in 2017 with an MBA while flying with HMLA-773 Red Dogs out of JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ.
He then began civilian employment as a strategy consultant at McKinsey & Company in San Francisco, CA.
Major Guevara transferred to HMLA-775 Coyotes and has served there continuously through the present, converting to the AH-1Z in 2020 and serving in various billets in Operations, as the Aviation Maintenance Officer, and as the Executive Officer.
Lieutenant Colonel Guevara has logged nearly 2300 hours in the AH-1W and AH-1Z. He is a graduate of Marine Corps Command & Staff College, and his personal awards include the Air Medal Strike / Flight with Numeral 6 and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Medal.