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Clint C. Harris Major, U. S. Marine Corps Slot |
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Major Clint Harris is a native of Senath, Missouri, where he graduated from Senath-Hornersville High School in 1991. While there, Clint played varsity basketball and baseball. In 1991, Clint played third base for the AAA American Legion baseball team of Paragould, Arkansas, where they competed in the state tournament. He then attended Arkansas State University earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Manufacturing Technology in 1996. In April 1997, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant through the Marine Corps Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Marine Corps Base (MCB) Quantico, Virginia.
Clint trained at The Basic School in Quantico soon after he was commissioned. From there, he went to Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Florida, for training in Aviation Preflight Indoctrination. Clint also trained at Vance Air Force Base (AFB), Oklahoma, flying the T-37 Tweet, and NAS Meridian, Mississippi, flying the T-2C Buckeye and T-45 Goshawk. He earned his wings of gold in April 2000.
In May 2000, Clint reported to Strike Fighter Squadron 106 (VFA-106) in NAS Oceana, Virginia, for initial training in the F/A-18 Hornet. During this phase of training, he earned the Top Hook Award for excellence in aircraft carrier landings aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). He then reported to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort, South Carolina, in January 2001, where he joined the "Thunderbolts" of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 251 (VMFA-251). Clint deployed aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) in support of Operation Enduring Freedom where he served as the schedules officer. He also deployed to Ahmed Al Jaber, Kuwait, for Operations Southern Watch and Iraqi Freedom as the squadron’s powerline officer and assistant operations officer.
In October 2003, Clint attended the Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course (WTI). Upon graduation, he became the pilot training officer for VMFA-251. He then deployed to Iwakuni, Japan, as part of the Marine Corps Unit Deployment Program (UDP) in November 2004.
In January 2005, Clint reported to MAWTS-1 as an F/A-18 instructor pilot. There he specialized in F/A-18 weaponry and weapons fusing. He also served as an F/A-18 maintenance liaison, operations representative and ordnance officer.
Clint joined the Blue Angels in September 2006. He has accumulated more than 1,500 tactical flight hours. His awards include the Individual Air Medal with combat "V" and Bronze Device, seven Strike Flight awards, the Navy Commendation Medal, and various personal and unit awards. |