A daughter of an Air Force officer, Captain Eilis Cancel graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science in English Literature and minors in Spanish and French.
While on Active Duty, Captain Cancel completed division officer tours at Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron SIX onboard the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) as the Legal, Aircraft Division, and Quality Assurance Officer and deployed to the Joint Personnel Recovery Center in Qatar in 2006 in support of Operations IRAQI and ENDURING FREEDOM. She completed a shore tour as an instructor at Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron THREE (HSC-3) as Schedules, Curriculum and Tactics Officer.
Since joining the Navy Reserves in 2008, Captain Cancel completed her Department Head tour at the HSC-3 Squadron Augment Unit (SAU) where she served as Training, Administration and Operations Officer. She mobilized to Jalalabad, Afghanistan, where she served as Assistant Officer InCharge (OIC) and OIC of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Detachment supporting Commander, Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan. She returned to HSC-3 SAU as Executive Officer and has since served as Commanding Officer of HSC-3 SAU, Naval Reserve Tactical Air Control Squadron ELEVEN, Naval Reserve United States Fleet Forces Maritime Air Operations Detachment Atlanta and Naval Reserve Commander, Navy Europe and Africa N5 Africa North units and as Director of Exercises PHOENIX EXPRESS 22 and 23 which encourage maritime partnership with North African and Mediterranean nations.
Captain Cancel’s personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (with Gold Star), the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (with Gold Star), the Army Commendation Medal and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. She has accumulated over 2,500 flight hours in multiple H-60 model aircraft. In 2022, Captain Cancel received a Master’s of Humanities with a Concentration in Classical Education from The University of Dallas
Last Updated: 26 April 2024