LT Tony Hughes was born in Denison, TX. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1992. Upon completion of recruit and infantry school, LT Hughes was assigned to the 3/187 Infantry Regiment at the 101st Airborne Division in Ft. Campbell, KY until 1996. During that time, LT Hughes was trained in counterinsurgency warfare at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Ft. Polk, LA, and was deployed to the Multi-national Forces Observation Unit in Sinai, Egypt. He also earned Airborne, Air Assault, and Expert Infantryman Badges.
Following the Army, LT Hughes enrolled in Air Force ROTC at the University of Kentucky. There he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Geography in 2001, and a Master of Arts in Diplomacy and International Commerce in 2002. As an undergraduate cadet, LT Hughes was awarded a National Security Education Program grant for research on Vietnamese culture and development at the School of International Training and the School of Social Sciences in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. He commissioned in the US Air Force as an Intelligence Officer in 2002. LT Hughes attended Air Force Intelligence Officer Basic Course at Goodfellow AFB, TX, whereas he then served as the Chief of Intelligence Training for the 22nd Air Refueling Wing, McConnell AFB, KS from 2002-2005. While at McConnell AFB, he deployed to Al Dhafra AB, UAE and served as OIC of Squadron Intelligence in support of aerial refueling operations in OIF-Iraq, OEF-Afghanistan, and HOA-Horn of Africa.
In 2006, LT Hughes transferred to the US Navy Health Services Collegiate Program for Medical Entomology at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. LT Hughes conducted research on West Nile virus and avian malaria in vector mosquitoes. He was the first to document and publish the presence of an invasive public health threat mosquito in Wisconsin. In 2008, LT Hughes graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a MS in Entomology. He resumed his commission as a US Navy officer. Upon graduation from Officer Development School, Newport, RI, LT Hughes reported to the Navy Entomology Center of Excellence, Jacksonville, FL in 2008. LT Hughes served as Department Head of Operational Assessments and actively led several Deployed Warfighter Protection Program studies. In 2010, LT Hughes deployed to Afghanistan with the United Stated Marine Corps, 1st MLG, Camp Pendleton, CA. He served as the Regional Entomologist, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, and Assistant Officer in Charge of Preventive Medicine. LT Hughes also provided crucial support to malaria research efforts in Liberia, Africa, and conducted vector control operations to reduce disease risk for US service members deployed to Liberia.
LT Hughes transferred to the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center (NMCPHC) in 2012, where he served as the Staff Entomologist, Readiness Officer, and Disease Vector Component manager for the US Navy Forward Deployable Preventive Medicine Unit Program. LT Hughes significantly advanced the command’s efforts in shaping doctrine and capabilities for highly advanced public health support teams. These efforts culminated in LT Hughes' role as the lead military preventive medicine planner for the USMC Bold Alligator 2014 exercise. He also conducted a comprehensive vector-borne disease risk assessment for Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti Africa, and served on the Naval Expeditionary Health Services Support working group.
In 2015, LT Hughes was selected for the Navy Medicine Duty Under Instruction program. He is currently stationed at the University of Florida, where he is earning a Doctor of Philosophy in Entomology. LT Hughes’ awards include the Navy Commendation Medal (2), Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal (2), and an Air Force Achievement Medal. He is married with two children, and currently resides in Orange Park, FL.
