Eric Bernsen
Captain Eric "Slick" Bernsen, USN
San Diego Yacht Club · San Diego, CA
1011 Anchorage Ln, San Diego, CA 92106
Ceremony 4:00 PM · Party to Follow
We're hoping for an adults night out — but if that's not possible, your whole crew is welcome.
RSVP below — the logistics officer needs a headcount.
The ceremony is August 8th. The days leading up to it — the 6th and 7th — could develop a life of their own. If you're planning to travel, reach out before you book: there may be more on the schedule worth knowing about.
Get in Touch →Khakis recommended — it's August in San Diego, but Type III's or flight suits are fine too. Service Dress or Summer Whites are equally welcome if you'd like to go formal.
Look sharp, but it will likely be warm – dress accordingly.
Do the homework. Know the limits. Take care of your people.
If you're going to be stupid, be smart about it.
By The Numbers
The Fleet
Deployments
HSL-42 · Ensuring freedom of navigation and finding creative ways to stay cool in 120°F heat.
HSL-42 · Counter-narcotics ops. Technically a drug task force. Conveniently tropical.
Director, Camp Titan · Recalled from reserves — A helicopter pilot running a Special Operations camp in the Horn of Africa. The Navy had its reasons. They remain unexplained.
The Résumé
- United States Naval Academy, Class of 1999
- Tactics Instructor, HSM Weapons School Pacific · Flight Instructor, HSL-41 — simultaneously responsible for teaching Naval aviators both how to fly and what to shoot.
- MH-60S Utility Pilot, SCORE Detachment · HSC-85, HSC-21, HSC-3 (2009–2019) · flew reserve helos throughout, including during law school (2009–2012) — passed the bar in 2012 while still in the cockpit
- Commanding Officer, HSC-3 SAU (2017–2019) · Commanding Officer, NR VTC-12 (2019–2022)
- Recalled to active duty · Director, Camp Titan, Djibouti (2023–2024) — ran a Special Operations camp in the Horn of Africa with his CO in Stuttgart. A 5,000-mile chain of command that suited everyone just fine.
What The Citation Won't Capture
- Mastered four variants of the Seahawk across his career spanning active duty, the reserves, and three deployments, including one recalled-from-the-reserves surprise
- Served as a tactics and flight instructor across his career and somehow found time to pass the bar, build a patent law practice, and then come back as flight instructor and reserve augment unit CO at HSC-3, all at the same time. The law firm presumably asked fewer questions than the Navy.
- 27 years. Three deployments. Four airframes. Three command tours. One law degree. The citation will cover most of it — the rest is classified or still pending review.
- The call sign is equal parts irreverence, leadership philosophy, and patent strategy. Bold is fine. Careless isn't. Know your margins — in the cockpit, in the courtroom, or in the prior art.
Kindly confirm your attendance by July 18, 2026 — so the logistics officer can plan accordingly and the bar can be appropriately stocked.