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COMMANDER MARTINA "PONY" HILL

Commander Hill grew up in the suburbs of Baltimore Maryland. She commissioned in 2009 through the Navy ROTC program at Boston University with a degree in Psychology. She also holds an Executive Master of Business Administration degree from the Naval Postgraduate School. She was designated an unrestricted Naval Aviator in February 2011.

She began her fleet operational tours as Assistant Training Officer, Det. Operations Officer, and Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization (NATOPS) Officer with the “Scorpions” of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 49, where she deployed to U.S. 5th Fleet and U.S. 7th Fleet areas of responsibility aboard USS Gridley (DDG 101) and USS Cowpens (CG 63). She served as Safety Officer on USS America (LHA 6) and qualified as Officer of the Deck, Underway. During that tour, she led the ship through Post Maintenance Availability (PMA), the Basic Phase and into the Advanced Phase while preparing the ship for its home port shift from San Diego, CA to Sasebo, Japan.  During her department head tour at the “Blue Hawks” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 78, she served as Aviation Safety Officer, and Detachment Officer in Charge, deploying to the Western Pacific aboard USS Chafee (DDG 90).  As Squadron Maintenance Officer, she led the Blue Hawks through the Maintenance and Basic Phases of the Optimized Fleet Response Plan.

Ashore, she served as an Instructor Pilot with the “Factory Hands” of HT-18, in Milton Florida. She completed a Joint Staff tour as a Readiness Analyst within the Deputy Directorate for Regional Operations (J35) at the Pentagon.  She assumed the duties of Executive Officer at the United States Navy Ceremonial Guard in August 2025.

Her personal military awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (one), Joint Service Commendation Medal (one), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (three), and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (one). She has accumulated 2,990 total flight hours, predominantly in the SH-60B, MH-60R, and TH-57 aircraft.

Last Updated: 3 March 2026

 

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