PMIWDC

On September 11, 2001, Lieutenant Colonel Darling was working in the White House Military Office and initially tasked to coordinate airlift assets for the President's evacuation to an undisclosed site. However, he was quickly recruited to provide his military expertise and became a liaison between the Vice President, National Security Advisor and the Pentagon. During the next 24 hours he received real time information from numerous government agencies and worked directly with the National Command Authority to respond to the terrorist attacks. Lieutenant Colonel Darling witnessed first hand the enormity of the decisions that were made that day on behalf of all Americans. This presentation is his personal account of the events that took place that infamous day.

Lieutenant Colonel Robert J. Darling, originally from Newburgh, New York, graduated from Iona College with a BA in Economics and was commissioned a second lieutenant aboard the USS Intrepid, New York, New York, on June 6, 1987.

After completing his initial training at The Basic School in Quantico, Virginia, he attended Flight School at Pensacola, Florida, and Corpus Christi, Texas, and was winged a Naval Aviator on October 13, 1989.

In March 1990, upon completion of his initial training as an AH-1 Cobra Fleet Pilot, First Lieutenant Darling was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 269, MCAS New River, North Carolina. During the next four years, 1stLt Darling deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm and with the 24 Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa where he flew combat missions in support of Operation Restore Hope, Somalia.

From April 1994 to April 1996, Captain Darling served as an instructor pilot with Marine Helicopter Training Squadron 303, Camp Pendleton, California. where he held the billets of AH-1W Standardization pilot and the AH-1W Training and Requirements Coordinator.

From June 1996 to June 1998, Captain Darling was assigned to the Marine Corps Recruiting Command as the Aviation Assistant for Officer Procurement for the 1st Marine Corps District, Garden City, New York. In July 1998, Major Darling was selected to fly the President of the United States with Presidential Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1).

In October 2000, Major Darling was hand-picked for assignment to the White House to serve as the White House Military Office Airlift Operations liaison officer. In June 2002, Major Darling attended the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, where he earned an MBA in Financial Management.

From January 2004 to June 2007, Lieutenant Colonel Darling served as the Department of the Navy Flying Hour Program Manager for the Chief of Naval Operations and Aviation Plans and Policy at Headquarters, United States Marine Corps. His personal awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Commendation Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (3 awards), Navy Achievement Medal and various unit awards. In October 2007, Lieutenant Colonel Darling retired from the United States Marine Corps. He currently works for the ZeNETex Company in Herndon, Virginia, as a VP for Business Development and lives in Stafford, Virginia, with his wife Angela, and their two boys, Michael, 14, and Matthew, 11.

AGENDA

5:30 PM - PM Tools
6:00 PM - Cash Bar & Networking
7:00 PM - Dinner
8:00 PM - Guest Speaker
9:00 PM - Adjourn

LOCATION

Corporate table for 10: $450
Chapter Members: $40
Non-members: $50
Walkins: $60