It is with deep sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our friend, staff member, and U.S. Navy Commander Sherm ‘TJ’ Flora. USASOA will hold a memorial service to honor and remember Commander Flora's life on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at 7 p.m. at Christ Church, 600 Farmington Road West, Accokeek, Maryland 20607. We invite the entire military and veteran community to attend to support Commander Flora’s family and friends at this difficult time.
Cmdr. T.J. “Sherm” Flora
Deputy Program Manager Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System
Cmdr. T.J. Flora, a native of Newton, Kansas, earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a commission from Naval Reserve Officer Training at the University of Kansas. He holds a master’s in Aeronautical Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology.
Cmdr. Flora served operationally as an F-14 pilot in Fighter Squadron (VF) 32 deployed aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) and as an F/A-18 pilot in Striker Fighter Squadron (VFA) 32 also deployed aboard CVN 75. During these tours he participated in the Global War on Terror and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Cmdr. Flora’s shore tours include assignment as a case officer for detainee operations at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and as an instructor pilot in VFA 106.
Cmdr. Flora has served in multiple acquisition tours at Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) beginning as the Training Systems Integrated Product Team Lead (ITPL) in the F/A-18 and EA-18G Program (PMA-265) where he led key current readiness initiatives for the Navy and Marine Corps Striker Fighter and Growler fleet and led Advanced Development modeling and simulation across multiple program offices supporting Naval Integrated Fire Control – Counter Air (NIFC-CA) capabilities. He served in the NAVAIR engineering competency as an analyst lead on projects such as the Proficiency Optimization study, the Counter Air Proficiency and Adversary Capabilities Based Assessment, and the Next Generation Air Dominance Analysis of Alternatives.
Cmdr. Flora currently serves as the Deputy Program Manager Unmanned Carrier Aviation (PMA-268) as the IPTL for the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System (UMCS) program. He is accountable and responsible for building the carrier-based unmanned control system of systems, integrating those systems with existing communication, control, intelligence, landing, and tactical networks, and installing the system of systems aboard NIMITZ and FORD class carriers and operational shore sites. The UMCS IPT serves as the Lead Systems Integrator for carrier-based unmanned control systems and is a critical system for the MQ-25A air vehicle operational capability.
Cmdr. Flora is active in his local church and is married to his high-school sweetheart, Mrs. Rachel (Thatcher) Flora of Wichita, Kansas. They are blessed with four sons, Tanner (16), Thatcher (14), Tyler (12) and Tucker (10)