Badger Alum joins the Blue Angels
Mark H Stone | Published on 12/4/2025
#3 Left Wing--LT CHRIS HOUBEN | USN
Lieutenant Chris Houben is a native of Geneva, Illinois and graduated from Geneva High School in 2013. Following highschool, he attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and graduated in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in English,and was commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (NROTC).
After commissioning and completing Aviation Preflight Indoctrination aboard NAS Pensacola, Chris joined the VT-2“Doerbirds” in Milton, Florida. Upon completing primary flight training in the T-6B Texan II, he moved northwest toMeridian, Mississippi where he remained for two years while completing intermediate and advanced training in the T-45C Goshawk.
In February of 2020, LT Houben received his Wings of Gold and orders to the “Flying Eagles” of VFA-122in Lemoore, California for training in the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Approximately one year later, Chris completed VFA-122’s syllabus and joined the historic “Dambusters” of VFA-195.During his three years with VFA-195, LT Houben participated in three deployments: one to Afghanistan, and two morein the South China Sea. While attached to the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), VFA-195 and Carrier Air Wing 5 (CVW-5)flew in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. In conjunction with flying, LT Houben worked as a SchedulingOfficer, Aircraft Division Officer, Assistant Operations Officer, and Head Landing Signals Officer.
Upon departing VFA-195, Chris moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia in September 2024 and served as an instructor pilotat the “Gladiators” of VFA-106, teaching Fleet Replacement Pilots and Weapons Systems Officers in the F/A-18E/F,where he served as a Basic Fighter Maneuvers (BFM) Standardization Instructor, Section Engaged Maneuvering (SEM)Standardization Instructor, Fighter Weapons & Tactics (FWT) Standardization Instructor, Suppression of Enemy AirDefenses (SEAD) Standardization Instructor, Aerial Refueling Standardization Instructor, Air-to-Surface TrainingInstructor, Low Altitude Tactics Training (LATT) Instructor, NATOPS Instructor, Instrument Instructor, Functional CheckFlight (FCF) Pilot, Landing Signals Officer, Mission Planning Officer, and Assistant Security Manager.
Chris has accumulated over 1,400 flight hours and more than 240 carrier-arrested landings. His personal awardsinclude the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, andvarious unit and service awards.