A native of Grand Prairie, Texas, Private Thurman enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1984. During the next eight years he served as an Artillery Scout Observer with the Second Battalion, Fourteenth Marine Regiment; an Extended Active Duty recruiter with Recruiting Station Dallas, Texas; and as a Platoon Commander with C Company, Fourth Reconnaissance Battalion, San Antonio, Texas.

In 1992, Staff Sergeant Thurman graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History whereupon he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and subsequently reported to The Basic School in Quantico, Virginia, followed by flight instruction at Naval Air Stations Pensacola, Florida, and Whidbey Island, Washington.

In 1997, First Lieutenant Thurman completed flight training as a Naval Flight Officer and EA-6B Prowler Electronic Counter-Measures Officer and was assigned to Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron – One (VMAQ-1) at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. During this assignment he deployed twice to Incirlik, Turkey, in support of the OPERATION NORTHERN WATCH and to Aviano, Italy, in support of OPERATION ALLIED FORCE. Following his squadron assignment he served as an Assistant Air Officer and Forward Air Controller for the Twenty-Second Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard the USS Nassau (LHA-4).

Captain Thurman relocated to Monterey, California, in 2001 for training as a Foreign Area Officer (FAO). During FAO training he earned a Master of Arts degree in National Security Studies at the Naval Postgraduate School, completed Russian language instruction at the Defense Language Institute, and executed a one-year in-country immersion training program in Moscow, Russian Federation.

From 2004 until 2007, Major Thurman was again assigned to VMAQ-1 and deployed twice as the squadron’s Operations Officer to Al Asad, Iraq in support of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM. Afterwards, from 2007 until 2008, he served at Headquarters, Second Marine Aircraft Wing as the Assistant G-1. Upon being promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 2008, he was selected for a diplomatic posting as the Marine Corps Attaché to the Republic of Georgia, where he served until assuming his current post as the Executive Officer of Marine Unmanned Vehicle Squadron – Three, Twentynine Palms, California in September 2011.

LtCol Thurman’s personal awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, (2) Air Medals with combat “V”, (18) Strike/Flight Air Medals, and (4) Navy and Marine Commendation Medals. LtCol Thurman is also a recipient of the General Giorgi Kvinitadze Medal from the Georgian Ministry of Defense.