Squadron Augment Unit | VT-27

Commanding Officer

CDR Travis B. Kempf is a native of Texas, born in Victoria on March 11, 1980. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M University in May of 2003. Upon graduation, he attended the United States Marine Corps Officer Candidate School in the fall of 2003 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant December 2003. After completion of The Basic School in Quantico, VA, he began his flight training in Enid, OK as part of the Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training program at Vance AFB. At the completion of Primary and Advanced flight training, he reported to HMT-302, MCAS New River, Jacksonville, NC for CH-53E Super Stallion training.

Upon completion of CH-53E training, 2ndLt Kempf reported to HMH-464 "The Condors" where he would deploy four times. He participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007 and upon returning from that deployment, he attended the Naval Aviation Safety Officers course. He served as the squadron ASO during the Humanitarian Assistance Mission, Operation Continued Promise in 2008 aboard the USS Kearsarge. In 2010 Captain Kempf deployed with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit on the USS Nassau in support of (ISO) Operation Enduring Freedom, where he served as the Flight Line OIC. He then attended the Weapons and Tactics Instructors (WTI) course in October of 2010 and upon completion of the course served as the WTI and Operations Officer for a detachment ISO Operation Enduring Freedom in 2011 again.

In the fall of 2011, Captain Kempf reported to VT-27, NAS Corpus Christi, TX for duties as a Primary Flight Instructor in the T-34C. He began instructing in January 2012, eventually transitioning to the T-6B in late 2012. He worked as the T-6B Category III Officer, Standardization Officer, and Training Officer during his active-duty time with VT-27. He also served as the first T-6B Detachment OIC for TRAWINGFOUR in the new training platform, at Laughlin, NV.

Major Kempf separated from the USMC active-duty component in the fall of 2015 and was assigned to the Marine Corps Reserve Instructor Program as the OIC from then until transitioning into the Navy Selective Reserves in 2017. He has served as the Operations Officer and Executive Officer of the VT-27 Squadron Augmentation Unit (SAU) and assumed commanded of the VT-27 SAU in January 2022.

CDR Kempf's personal decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, and various unit and campaign medals.