Collins served in the U.S. Navy for 29 years in numerous EA-6B Prowler squadrons and as the Operations Officer (N3) for Carrier Strike Group Four while embarked in various aircraft carriers. His shore duty tours included VAQ-129, the Naval Strike Warfare Center (Strike U) in Fallon, NV and as the EA-6B / EF-18G Requirements Officer in OPNAV N98.
Collins commanded the VAQ-140 Patriots, an aircraft carrier based EA-6B squadron and additionally commanded the VAQ-129 Vikings, the EA-6B Fleet Replacement Squadron. He went on to command Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads in the Navy’s Mid-Atlantic Region.
In 2009, as a member of JTF-CS, Collins led the planning for U.S. Department of Defense CBRN and Medical support to the 2010 Canadian Winter Olympics. This duty required significant coordination with the U.S. Department of State, Canadian DFAIT, U.S. Northern Command, and Canada Command. Throughout the Olympic Games he led a diverse team of liaison officers who embedded with Canada’s Joint Task Force – Games while JTF-CS deployed a Tactical Command Post to Joint Base Lewis-McChord and prepositioned CBRN response units to Washington State.
Collins retired from the Navy in August 2010. He resumed his duties as JTF-CS Chief of Staff in a Department of the Air Force civil service capacity, and in March 2015 he assumed the duties of Deputy to the Commander, JTF-CS.
During his tenure, JTF-CS has responded to a variety of All-Hazards DSCA events including Super Storm Sandy in 2012 where JTF-CS deployed to Joint Base McGuire, Dix, Lakehurst and provided Title 10 support to both New York and New Jersey and supported the Dual Status Commanders in those two states.
More recently JTF-CS has supported the COVID-19 Response mission, including medical support during the first wave in spring, 2020, to New York City and the state of New Jersey. At its peak, JTF-CS provided command and control to over 2700 providers, nurses and medics. In 2021 JTF-CS transitioned to Vaccination Operations, supporting 22 vaccination sites through the Dual Status Commanders in 17 states, and in the summer of 2021 resumed medical support operations to numerous civilian hospitals across the central and eastern United States.