Chief Warrant Officer 5 David C. Thomas, U.S. Marine Corps

Chief Warrant Officer 5 David C. Thomas  

U.S. Marine Corps, Retired

Inducted 2024 

David C. Thomas joined the Marine Corps in 1989 immediately following graduation from high school in Morgantown, WV. He attended Recruit Training at Parris Island and was designated as a 0847, FA Meteorology Crewman. After MOS training, he was assigned to the Survey/Meteorological Section, Headquarters Battery, 11th Marine Regiment. Thomas deployed with the 3rd BN, 11th Marines in support of Operation DESERT STORM in direct support of the 7th Marine Regiment’s Task Force RIPPER. After being promoted to Corporal, then Sergeant, he deployed to aid in containing and recovery from the Los Angeles riots. In 1995, Thomas was hand selected to join the instructor cadre at the MARDET at Fort Sill for assignment as a FA Meteorological Crewman instructor where he was subsequently recognized as instructor of the year. During this tour, he taught students for both the Army and Marine Corps and led New Equipment Training Teams that fielded new technologies across Marine artillery. In 1999, Thomas transferred back to 11th Marines and was assigned as the Regimental Survey/Meteorological Chief. In this billet, he deployed to Egypt in support of Exercise BRIGHT STAR. It was also during this assignment that he was selected to become a Warrant Officer. He finished first in his class at the Warrant Officer Basic Course. After school, he was again assigned to the 11th Marines where he became the Regimental Counter Battery Radar Officer. In 2003, he deployed to Kuwait in preparation for Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Upon redeployment, Thomas assumed duties as the 1st Marine Division Target Information Officer and returned to Iraq. During this deployment, he planned and executed kinetic and non-kinetic fires in support of the 1st Marine Division’s attack into Fallujah and overall security of Al Anbar province. He then returned to Camp Pendleton and assumed duties as the Assistant Division Fire Support Coordinator, Target Information Officer, and the 11th Marines Intelligence Officer. After transfer to Quantico, he was assigned to Marine Corps Systems Command as the Ground Radar Team Lead for all legacy and emerging Counter Battery Radar Programs. He focused his sole attention on the G/ATOR program and the establishment of the new Program Executive Office–Land Systems. Thomas returned to the 11th Marines to serve as the Regimental Target Acquisition Platoon Commander. In 2011, he deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. He was promoted to be the only CWO5 in the USMC artillery community. He transferred again to Quantico, where he served as the Target Acquisition Capabilities Integration Officer for the Combat Development and Integration Department of Headquarters USMC. In 2018, CWO5 Thomas retired from active duty after 29 years of service to the Marine Corps, and became the Deputy Director, Test and Certification Division, for the USMC Tactical Software Support Activity, Camp Pendleton. In addition to his work as the USMC lead integrator for the Joint All-Domain Command and Control, PROJECT CONVERGENCE and all USMC efforts to modernize the joint and naval fires kill web/network, David Thomas voluntarily serves as the President of the 11th Marines Ceremonial Garden, a charitable Non-Profit organization dedicated to a lasting memorial site dedicated to the 11th Marine Regiment. In 2023, he received the Armed Forces Comm-Electronic Association’s “Copernicus” award in recognition of his efforts to establish a battle lab designed specifically to develop and test all command-and-control systems for the emerging Marine Littoral Regiment from the Commandant of the Marine Corps Force Design 2030 plans.