Master Sgt. Charles Lilly

Master Sgt. Charles L. Lilly II was raised in Pulaski, V.A. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2002 and was assigned to VFA-106 where he served as a flight equipment technician and collateral duty inspector.

He later transferred to Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12 in Iwakuni, Japan where he served as the non-commissioned officer in charge of 800 Division. While there, he earned his collateral duty quality assurance representative designation and his quality assurance safety observer designation. He also represented his unit at the Weapons and Tactics Instruction (WTI) class in Yuma, Ariz. 

Master Sgt. Lilly was then assigned to HMM-774 in July 2007 and led the Aviation Life Support Systems (ALSS) division. Within the squadron’s ordinance program, he served as the collateral duty quality assurance representative and the quality assurance safety observer. 

 From July 2010 until March 2014, Master Sgt. Lilly served as the ALSS division chief for VMM-266 executing the duties of a collateral duty quality assurance representative and quality assurance safety observer. While there, MSgt Lilly participated in two deployments, both under command of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. In 2012, he attended the Aviation Maintenance Control course, earning the secondary Marine occupation specialty of aviation maintenance control safe for flight. MSgt Lilly supported the WTI class in Yuma, Ariz. as a V-22 maintenance controller. 

In March 2014, Master Sgt. Lilly attended the Basic Recruiters Course (BRC) and was assigned as a recruiter in Richmond V.A. until March 2015 when he was selected to be the staff non-commissioned officer in charge of recruiting in Petersburg, V.A.

Upon completion of recruiting duty in July 2017, Master Sgt. Lilly was assigned to HMH-461as the ALSS division chief and was later selected as the enlisted aviation production manager in Quantico, V.A.

Master Sgt. Lilly retired from the Marine Corps in July 2023 after 21 years of honorable service. His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with two gold stars. He married his wife, Lindsay, in 2009. They have three children, Mackena, Emerson, and Lincoln.