CDR Philip Thisse

XO's Biography

CDR Philip Thisse is originally from Flint, MI and graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Mechanics. Both during and after college he gained valuable leadership and engineering experience as a manufacturing engineer and operations supervisor at various major manufacturing facilities across the nation.

In 2003, he entered the Coast Guard as a Direct Commission Engineer and was assigned to the Engineering Logistics Center in Baltimore, Maryland, where he provided naval engineering support for the Polar Ice Breakers. In 2004, CDR Thisse reported to Primary Naval Flight School in Pensacola, FL followed by Advanced Naval Flight School in Corpus Christi, TX. After flight school, he spent four years flying the mighty HU-25 Falcon at Air Station Cape Cod, where he became an Aircraft Commander and began his student Aeronautical Engineering Officer Syllabus. For the next four years, he was assigned to Air Station Corpus Christi where he served as the HU-25 Engineering Officer, operational Aircraft Commander, Instructor Pilot, and Flight Examiner. After the retirement of the Falcon, CDR Thisse transitioned to the C-130J Super Hercules and spent three years at Air Station Elizabeth City as the Assistant Engineering Officer and upgraded to Aircraft Commander and Instructor Pilot in the C-130J. In 2016, he earned a Master’s of Science (M.S.) in Aeronautics from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. From 2017 to 2019, he attended the University of Michigan on an advanced education assignment where he earned a Master’s of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) in Aerospace Engineering. In 2019, he reported to ALC as the Medium Range Surveillance (MRS) Product Line Manager, managing the depot level production and modification of the C-27J and HC-144 fleets. He also transitioned to his third career Coast Guard airframe, the HC-144 Ocean Sentry. In June 2021, CDR Thisse assumed the duties of Aviation Logistics Center’s Executive Officer.

CDR Thisse has been married to the former Carla Gutzeit for 18 years, who is also from Flint, MI. They are proud parents of two amazing children, Caden (age 13) and Caleb (age 8).