LtCol Pope’s first fleet assignment was to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 “Thunder Chickens” (VMM-263), where he served in various assignments in the operations and maintenance departments, deploying with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit in 2011 in support of OPERATION UNIFIED PROTECTOR in Libya and contingency operations the Middle East. In April of 2013, LtCol Pope graduated from the Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1 (MAWTS-1) Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) Course. He then deployed as the Pilot Training Officer for VMM-263 with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit in 2013, supporting national mission tasking in the Gulf of Aden as well as the initial response to ISIS in the early stages of OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE.
In July of 2015, LtCol Pope reported to MAWTS-1 in Yuma, Arizona for duties as an MV-22B instructor pilot. During his tour he served as the MAWTS-1 subject matter expert on Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel (TRAP), MV-22 shipboard operations, and the MV-22 Training and Readiness syllabus. His final year he served as the MV-22B Division Head.
Upon return to the fleet in 2018, LtCol Pope reported to the “White Knights” of VMM-165 in Miramar, CA. He served as the Aircraft Maintenance Officer and Operations Officer, deploying to the Middle East in support of Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force - Crisis Response - Central Command 19.1. In 2020, LtCol Pope was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 16 as the Group Operations Officer.
LtCol Pope assumed command of VMM-268 “Red Dragons” in December 2022. While in command, the squadron conducted a trans-Pacific flight to the Philippines in support of Balikatan 23 and deployed to Australia in 2024 as the Aviation Combat Element for Marine Rotational Force-Darwin 24, supporting numerous INDOPACOM Operations, Activities, and Initiatives in Indonesia, Solomon Islands, and embarking on Australian amphibious shipping.
LtCol Colonel Pope has logged over 2,600 flight hours in the MV-22B flying in over 20 different countries. His personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (gold star in lieu of third award), Air Medal Strike/Flight numeral 2, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (gold star in lieu of second award), and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.