Cmdr. Andrew A. Blanco
Executive Officer, USS Jason Dunham
13 January 2026
Cmdr. Blanco is a native of Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, as well as from Norwich University in 2024 with a Master of Arts in Strategic Studies.
Cmdr. Blanco was commissioned through the Naval Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, in July 2010. His tours of duty include USS GERMANTOWN (LSD 42) and USS HARPERS FERRY (LSD 49) as Weapons Officer, USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN (CG 57) as Training Officer, with Department Head tours onboard USS ANTIETAM (CG 54) as Operations Officer, as well as USS SAN JACINTO (CG 56) as Plans and Tactics Officer.
While ashore, he attended the Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC) Integrated Air and Missile Defense Warfare Tactics Instructor (IAMD WTI) course in 2015, earning his patch along with class honors as the “Top Tactitian” of class 15-030. He later completed his WTI production tour as the Surface Combatant Integration Officer at the Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapons School (CAEWWS) as part of the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center (NAWDC) in Fallon, Nevada. His most recent tour of duty from 2022-2025 was as Current Operations Officer for Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic before his selection as Executive Officer of USS JASON DUNHAM (DDG 109).
His personal awards and decorations include being selected for the Junior Officer Award for Excellence in Tactics in 2019 (CSG-5), 2020 (CSG-10) and 2021 (CSG-8), as well as the AFCEA/USNI 2018 Copernicus Award recipient for innovation in Navy C4I. He has received the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and various service and campaign awards.