Cmdr. Daniel Morreira is a native of Chester, California, and graduated from the Broadened Opportunity for Officer Selection and Training (BOOST) in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1998. He received his Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) scholarship and attended Loyola University in New Orleans, earning a degree in Computer Information Systems and his commission from Tulane NROTC in 2002.
Upon completion of flight training at Enid Air Force Base and Naval Air Station (NAS) Whiting Field, Morreira was designated as a Naval Aviator in February 2004. Morreira earned his Executive Master of Business Administration from the Naval Postgraduate School in 2010. He currently serves as the Executive Officer of NAS Sigonella, Italy.
After completion of fleet replacement pilot training in the MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter, Morreira reported to the “World Famous Vanguard” of Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Fourteen (HM-14) in Norfolk, Virginia. He completed deployments to U.S. 4th Fleet and the Western Pacific onboard USS Bataan (LHD 5), USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) and USS Peleliu (LHA 5), and served as Ground Safety Officer, Schedule Writer, Assistant Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization (NATOPS) Officer, Assistant Quality Assurance Officer and Detachment Operations Officer. He also served onboard USS Nimitz (CVN 68) in the Pacific Northwest as the Assistant Air Operations Officer and earned his Officer of the Deck Qualification. For his Department Head tour, he was hand-selected to serve with the “Dragonwhales” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron TWO EIGHT (HSC-28) as the initial cross pollination of the HM and HSC communities in Norfolk, Virginia. There he served as the HSC-28 Det. 1 Alpha Officer in Charge in Naples, Italy, the Safety Officer and Maintenance Officer. On sea duty as Commander, he served on the staff of Combined Maritime Forces in Manama, Bahrain, as the Deputy Director of Operations and the Director of the Coalition Coordination Center in the world’s largest maritime coalition, strengthening partnerships with more than 34 nations.
During his initial shore tour, he transitioned to the MH-60S Seahawk and became a fleet replacement squadron instructor pilot with the “Merlins” of HSC-3 in Coronado, California. As the Organic Airborne Mine Countermeasures (OAMCM) subject matter expert, he worked to progress the MH-60S’ role in Airborne Mine Countermeasures. He also served as Legal Officer and Assistant Operations Officer. After his Department Head tour, he served as a Battle Watch Captain on the Pacific Fleet Maritime Operations Center watch floor in support of U.S. 3rd Fleet and U.S. 7th Fleet operations in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Morreira’s awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (three awards), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (two awards), and other various personal, unit and campaign awards.
Last Updated: 5 January 2024