Commander Steven Aspholm was born in Chico, California and grew up in Littleton, Colorado. He graduated from Tulane University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and was commissioned the same year via the Reserve Officers Training Corps.
Following his commissioning in 2007, he completed primary fixed wing flight training in Corpus Christi, Texas, followed by advanced helicopter training in Milton, Florida, where he was winged as a Naval Aviator in 2009. He completed fleet replacement training in the SH-60B at Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 40 (HSL -40) before proceeding to the “Warlords” of HSL-51 based in Atsugi, Japan.
His operational tours include serving as detachment Operations Officer for HSL-51 Detachment Two embarked USS Cowpens (CG 63) in support of Operation Tomodachi humanitarian assistance/disaster relief operations following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Sendai, Japan. While with HSL-51 he also served as detachment Maintenance Officer on USS Shiloh (CG 67) and USS McCampbell (DDG 85). Onboard USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) he served as Assistant Combat Direction Center Officer and earned his Tactical Action Officer qualification. After qualifying in the MH-60R he deployed to the 7
th Fleet AOR with the “Saberhawks” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 77 (HSM-77), where he served as Officer-in-Charge of Combat Element One embarked USS Antietam (CG 54) and squadron Operations Officer.
Ashore, Commander Aspholm served at Helicopter Training Squadron 18 (HT-18) as flight instructor and Assistant Operations Officer. Most recently he flew the MH-60S as Search and Rescue Division Officer at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California, where his team supported training and readiness generation for all deploying F/A-18 and F-35 squadrons on the west coast.
Commander Aspholm has flown over 4,000 hours and holds various individual awards. He is most honored to wear the multiple Battle “E”, Meritorious Unit Commendations, and campaign awards he has earned alongside his Shipmates during his career.
Last Updated: 26 November 2024