Captain Hal Vasquez, USN
Commanding Officer
Captain Vasquez is a native of Mandeville, Louisiana. He attended Louisiana State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing in 2000. He was commissioned at the Officer Candidate School in May 2001. He also attended the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, where he earned a Master of Business Administration degree in Financial Management in 2007.
At sea, Captain Vasquez served as Commanding Officer and Executive Officer in USS Sampson (DDG 102), Operations Officer at Carrier Strike Group ELEVEN (CSG-11), Flag Secretary at Carrier Strike Group TWO (CSG-2), Combat Systems Officer and Weapons Officer in USS Decatur (DDG 73); Fire Control Officer in USS Ticonderoga (CG 47), and Main Propulsion Officer and First Lieutenant in USS Vicksburg (CG 69).
Ashore, Captain Vasquez served as Commander, Naval Surface Group Northwest and had command of Regional Support Organization Pacific Northwest. Additionally, he was the Staff Action Officer assigned to Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, the Aegis Ashore requirements officer and Deputy Executive Assistant to Director, Surface Warfare Division to the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfare Systems (N96), and the Human Resources officer for the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Fleet Readiness and Logistics (N4).
Captain Vasquez’s awards include the Legion of Merit Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, as well as various campaign and unit awards.
Major Joshua Perras, USMC
Executive Officer/Marine Officer Instructor
Email: jperras6@gatech.edu
Major Joshua Perras is a native of Exeter, RI. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in September 2007. Major Perras served eight years as an Air Command and Control Electronics Operator earning the rank of Staff Sergeant. He deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as an Air Space Control Officer in Regional Command Southwest, Camp Leatherneck and Kandahar Afghanistan. He would later go on to earn his commissioning through the Enlisted Commissioning Program in 2016.
In January 2016, Major Perras attended Officer Candidate School and The Basic School (TBS) in June 2016. Upon graduation from TBS, Major Perras was assigned the MOS of Military Police Officer and reported to the Military Police Basic Officer Course in Fort Leonard Wood, MO. Upon graduation, Major Perras was transferred to 2nd Law Enforcement Battalion, Camp Lejeune, NC.
In May 2017, Major Perras served as a Platoon Commander and deployed with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Upon returning, he assumed the billet of Company Executive Officer and later as a Company Commander until he was selected to attend Military Police Career Captains Course where he reported in July 2020 and graduated in December 2020. In January 2021, Major Perras reported to Security Battalion, Marine Corps Base Quantico. During his time there he served as the Battalion Operations Officer, Service Company Commander and later as the Provost Marshal Office Operations Officer.
In June 2023, Major Perras executed orders as the Company B Inspector-Instructor, 4th Law Enforcement Battalion located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. In May 2025 Major Perras assumed the duties of the Executive Officer Naval ROTC Unit Atlanta Consortium.
Major Perras holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from American Military University and a Master of Arts in Management and Leadership from Webster University. His personal decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (with gold star in lieu of 3rd award), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.
Commander Thomas E. McNeil
Deputy Commander/ Instructor
Commander McNeil (T-Mac) is a native of St Louis, Mo. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Morehouse College and commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) in 2005.
CDR McNeil’s operational assignments include a division officer tour with VAW-124 where he completed one deployment in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. He served as a training officer with VAW-112 from 2014 to 2016 where he completed one Western Pacific deployment. He was later assigned as a department head on board VAW-125 – part of Carrier Air Wing Five and Forward Deployed Naval Forces – from 2017 to 2019, where he served as quality assurance officer, administration officer, and operations officer, in three Western Pacific deployments. He has accumulated over 2,500 hours in the E-2 Hawkeye.
Ashore, CDR McNeil has served as the training officer at the Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapons School (CAEWWS) – a department of the Navy Aviation Warfighting Development Center (NAWDC) in Fallon, Nevada. At U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM), he served as part of the corporate governance team, robotics process automation (RPA) coordinator, Financial Management (FM) data strategy program manager, and FM training program manager as part of the J8 Directorate. He was also selected to lead the TRANSCOM Headquarters COVID-19 Response Cell Entry Control Point. At U.S. Seventh Fleet He served as the Chief of Fires as well as Deliberate Plans lead for Korea Plans.
T-Mac’s current assignment is the Deputy Commander at the Atlanta Region NROTC Consortium, serving both Georgia Tech and Morehouse NROTC Units. CDR McNeil’s awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, and Joint Service Commendation Medal.
STUDENT ADVISORS
Navy Option Admissions and Freshman/Sophomore Advisor: LT Bobby Guild | Surface Warfare Officer (Nuclear)
Contact: 404-385-6307
Email: rguild3@gatech.edu
Upperclassman Advisor: LT Marissa deHaas | Surface Warfare Officer
Assistant Marine Officer Instructor: GySgt Matthew Jones
Contact:
Phone: (404) 894-8138
Email: mjones661@gatech.edu