Rear Adm. Max G. McCoy, Jr. is a native of Winter Springs, Florida. He received his commission in 1991 from the U.S. Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Oceanography and in 1994 was designated a naval aviator. He is a graduate of the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN).

McCoy’s operational assignments include tours with Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 151 and VFA 136. He has completed deployments on USS Constellation (CV 64), USS George Washington (CVN 73), and USS Nimitz (CVN 68). He commanded VFA 86 and Carrier Air Wing TWO (CVW-2).

His shore assignments include a strike fighter tactics instructor tour at Strike Fighter Weapons School Pacific; demonstration pilot with the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, Blue Angels; executive assistant to the Commanding General, Joint Warfighting Center (JFCOM J7); Joint Strike Fighter Requirements officer for the Director, Air Warfare, Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV N98); vice commander, 33rd Fighter Wing; the first commodore of the Joint Strike Fighter Wing at Naval Air Station Lemoore; and chief of staff for Commander, Naval Air Forces.

As a flag officer, McCoy commanded the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center (NAWDC) and Carrier Strike Group Four (CSG-4).  He is the 39th Chief of Naval Air Training.

McCoy has logged more than 5,500 flight hours and received numerous personal, unit, and campaign awards.  He was a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Seminar XXI fellow, and the 2023 “Tailhooker of the Year” awarded by the Tailhook Association.

Last Updated: 4 August 2025