Lieutenant Commander Aaron R. Austin

Lieutenant Commander Aaron R. Austin came to the U.S. Institute of Peace as an interagency professional-in-residence in spring 2012 from the U.S. Navy (USN).  He currently works as a Northeast Asia specialist and on projects related to the development of increased relations between USN, USIP, and the NGO community.

He attended the United States Naval Academy, graduating in May 1996 with a B.S. in political science. He reported for Surface Warfare Officer School in September 1996 after attending language school at the Goethe Institut in Prien, Germany. LCDR Austin served his initial division officer tour aboard USS DUBUQUE (LPD-8) from April 1997 to March 1999 as a deck officer. During his follow-on division officer tour aboard USS YORKTOWN (CG-48), he served as Fire Control Officer during counter-drug operations in the Gulf of Mexico and Eastern Pacific.

In June 2000, LCDR Austin laterally transferred to aviation and entered flight school in Pensacola, FL with follow-on training in San Antonio, TX. He earned his naval flight officer wings in June 2001 and transferred to Jacksonville, Florida where he was attached to VP-30. After completing the Fleet Replenishment Squadron (FRS), his first operational tour from September 2002 to November 2005 was in Kaneohe, Hawaii with Patrol Squadron Nine (VP-9). During this tour he deployed throughout 5th and 7th Fleets in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and operations throughout the Pacific.

From January 2006 to June 2007 LCDR Austin studied National Security Affairs for East Asia while attending Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, California. He was selected as a Foreign Area Officer for East Asia in 2007 and attended the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) for a year of instruction in Korean after graduation from NPS. His foreign language skills also include formal training in Mandarin-Chinese and prior experience working in Taiwan.

Upon graduation from DLIFLC, LCDR Austin transferred to Commander, Naval Forces Korea where he worked in Chinhae and Pusan, South Korea as an operations liaison to Commander, Republic of Korea Fleet (COMROKFLT). He worked closely with the operations and plans officers of COMROKFLT and Commander, Seventh Fleet (COMSEVENTHFLT) in coordinating combined operations, staff meetings, and exercises throughout the peninsula. 

LCDR Austin worked in OPNAV 52 from December 2009 to March 2012, where he was assigned as an Asia/Pacific desk officer. His portfolio of countries included Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Philippines, and Vietnam.