​Ben is currently a Commander (CDR) in the U.S. Navy serving as the Executive Officer of VR-54, a C-130 squadron located in New Orleans, LA. In this role, he oversees 150 people and 4 aircraft conducting logistics operations worldwide for the Navy and Marine Corps. Prior to this assignment he was the Director of Legislative Affairs for Naval Aviation. He has served in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom, as well as the Indo-Pacific, Central Command, and European Theaters. CDR Simon has accumulated over 1,600 flight hours in 7 different aircraft including 36 combat missions. CDR Simon holds a degree in Economics from Florida State University, a Masters in Systems Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, and a Masters certificate in Space Systems Operations from the Naval Postgraduate School.