Captain Todd "Chimi" Cimicata

Chief of Staff, Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet

19 October 2020 CAPT Todd F. Cimicata was born in Rochester, NY.  He received his commission through the Villanova University NROTC program in 1995. 
 
CAPT Cimicata was designated a Naval Aviator in October 1998 and received orders to the “Grim Reapers” of VF-101 at NAS Oceana for F-14 Tomcat training.  His first fleet assignment was as a member of the Forward Deployed Naval Forces of Carrier Air Wing FIVE (CVW-5) and the “Black Knights” of VF-154 in Atsugi, Japan.  The squadron embarked to the Western Pacific aboard the USS KITTY HAWK (CV 63).
 
In April 2002, CAPT Cimicata was selected to attend the US Navy Test Pilot School Cooperative Program, where he was part of the first Navy class to receive a Master’s degree from the Air Force Institute of Technology before attending Test Pilot School.  After graduating, he joined the “Salty Dogs” of VX-23 in Patuxent River, Maryland.
 
In April 2006, CAPT Cimicata reported to the “Pukin’ Dogs” of VFA-143 for a second operational sea assignment where he served as Operations and Maintenance Officer. 
 
In January 2009, CAPT Cimicata was selected to be Aide-de-Camp to the Deputy Commander, US European Command in Stuttgart, Germany.  In January 2010, he reported to the US Military Delegation to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Brussels, Belgium.  As a member of the Joint Staff, he worked as Flag Aide to the US Military Representative and as the US Air Planner.  Following his return from overseas, he joined the “Flying Eagles” of VFA-122 in January 2012 as the Executive Officer.  In December 2012, CAPT Cimicata reported to VFA-147 as the Executive Officer and became the Commanding Officer of the Argonauts in December 2013.  After completing his command tour in May 2015, he was selected as a Federal Executive Fellow and spent one year at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.  Subsequently, he became the Naval Aviation programs lead in the Navy Office of Legislative Affairs where he was the primary conduit of information flow between Capitol Hill and Navy leadership for myriad aviation related programs.  Following that tour, he then joined CVW-17 and was Commander from June 2020 to July 2021. CAPT Cimicata is currently serving at the Chief of Staff of Commander, Naval Air Forces at Naval Air Station North Island.
 
CAPT Cimicata is a 1995 graduate of Villanova University, receiving a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a business concentration.  He holds a Masters of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology.
 
His personal awards include the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal (2), the Meritorious Service Medal (2), the Strike Flight Air Medal (3), and various campaign and unit awards.