Commander Rustie Hibbard
Area 12 Manager
Commander Hibbard was raised in Jacksonville,Florida. An NJROTC program participant at Edward
H. White HS, he was awarded a NROTC scholarship and graduated Jacksonville University, with a
BS in Mathematics. Following flight training in Pensacola, Florida and Sacramento, California, he
earned his Navy "Wings of Gold" in June of 1980. Following P-3C flight specific training at VP-30, he
received orders to the "BATMEN" of Patrol Squadron 24, completing deployments to
Westpac/Bermuda, Rota Spain/Lajes Azores, and Keflavik Iceland, flying the P3-C baseline aircraft.
His next assignment was to Patrol Wing Eleven in Jacksonville from 1983-1987, serving as Weapons
System Training Instructor and Mission Control and Evaluation Officer.
In August of 1987, CDR Hibbard reported to Commander Carrier Group Three in Alameda California completing a deployment to the Persian Gulf as ASW Staff and Plans Officer/Tactical Action Officer onboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70). In 1989 he received orders to the Replacement Air Group (VP-30) onboard NAS Jacksonville, Florida. Upon completion of his instructor tour in 1990, he was assigned to the "Pelicans" of Patrol Squadron Forty-Five, Jacksonville, Florida. He served as the Training and Operations Officer, while completing deployments to Rota Spain and Keflavik Iceland. Following his Department Head Tour, CDR Hibbard was selected to serve as the Patrol Wing Eleven Training Officer from 1992 to 1994.
In June of 1996 CDR Hibbard graduated from the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey California, with a Masters Degree in Systems Technology, Space Systems Operations. His follow-on assignment was as the Combat Direction Center Officer (CDCO) Onboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), completing a Mediterranean/ Persian Gulf deployment and qualifying as Carrier Conning Officer Alongside day/night. He then returned to Patrol Wing Eleven in Jacksonville, serving as the Tactical Support Center Director until 2001. CDR Hibbard then reported as the NJROTC Area TWELVE manager, overseeing units from Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Alabama and eventually North Florida. Upon his retirement in 2005, he was hired as the Senior Naval Science Instructor at Terry Parker HS, where they earned Distinguished Unit in 2006/2007 and 2007/2008. After transferring to Clay HS for the 2008/2009 School year, he was selected to return as the Area TWELVE manager.
CDR Hibbard’s awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (Gold Star), Navy Commendation Medal (Three Gold Stars), Navy Achievement Medal and various unit and sea service related awards. CDR Hibbard married the former E. Joanne Hambright, of Jacksonville, Florida on December 22, 1978 and currently resides in Fleming Island, Florida.
