Lieutenant
Colonel Ash enlisted in the U.S. Navy October of 1989, completing Naval Nuclear
Power training as a reactor operator in April 1992. He reported to the U.S.S. Jefferson City (SSN
759), as a reactor operator and was selected for an NROTC scholarship in the
spring of 1993. Lieutenant Colonel Ash
was transitioned from the Navy as an Electronics Technician Second Class,
submarine qualified sailor in order to begin attending the Pennsylvania State
University as a Naval Midshipman. He
graduated in August 1996 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant.
Lieutenant
Colonel Ash reported to The Basic School (TBS) in August 1996 and upon
completion of the Infantry Officers Course (IOC) in June 1997, he reported to
the 2d Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAR) Battalion in Camp Lejeune, NC,
deploying twice to the Republic of Panama, where he served as a line and
weapons platoon commander. In May of
1999 he was selected to serve as the LAR Detachment commander for Battalion
Landing Team 2/6, the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
Lieutenant
Colonel Ash reported to the Commanding General of Marine Corps Air Ground
Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, CA in September of 2000 and served as the Aide
de Camp and as an infantry and fire support instructor at the Tactical Training
Exercise Control Group.
Upon completion
of the Field Artillery Captains Career Course in January 2004, Lieutenant
Colonel Ash returned to Twentynine Palms and reported to 3rd Battalion, 7th
Marines where he served as the assistant operations officer during Operation
Iraqi Freedom-II in Al Qa’im, Iraq and as the Company Commander of Kilo
Company, 3/7 during Operation Iraqi Freedom 4-06 in Ramadi, Iraq. Upon return from Iraq he became the battalion
operations officer until July 2007.
Lieutenant
Colonel Ash graduated from Marine Corps Command and Staff College in Quantico,
VA, in June 2008, and assumed command of Marine Corps Recruiting Station
Atlanta, GA.
Lieutenant
Colonel Ash reported to Marine Barracks Washington, 8th and I as the Operations
Officer July 2011, becoming the Junior Aide to the Commandant of the Marine
Corps in May of 2012.
Lieutenant
Colonel Ash reported to 1st Marine Regiment August 2013, where he served as the
Regimental Executive Officer and deployed as the Executive Officer of Task
Force Belleau Wood in support of Operation Enduring Freedom 14.1/2.
Lieutenant
Colonel Ash’s personal decorations include: the Bronze Star with combat
distinguishing device, “V”, the Purple Heart Medal, the Meritorious Service
Medal with two gold stars, the Navy and
Marine Corps Commendation Medal with two gold stars, the Navy and Marine Corps
Achievement Medal with gold star, and the Combat Action Ribbon with gold star.