Lieutenant Colonel Enrico “Rico” Landas enlisted in the United States Marine Corps from Alameda, California in July 2001. Following boot camp, Marine Combat Training, and initial training as a Combat Engineer, he was accepted into the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant after receiving a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of San Diego in May 2007.
Following The Basic School and additional training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, First Lieutenant Landas attended the Aviation Maintenance Officer School in Milton, Florida. In March 2010, he was then assigned to Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 31 (MALS-31) in Beaufort, South Carolina, as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer. During this tour, he was transferred to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 533 (VMFA(AW)-533) where he served as the Maintenance Material Control Officer, as well as the Assistant Aircraft Maintenance Officer. During this time, he participated in the Unit Deployment Program to Iwakuni, Japan and multiple large scale aviation exercises and training such as: Cope Tiger, Lava Viper, Enhanced Mojave Viper, Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course, and Top Gun. After serving with VMFA-533, Captain Landas then served as the Assistant Aircraft Maintenance Officer for Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 122 and MALS-31.
In June 2013, Captain Landas transferred to the Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron (VMX-1, formerly VMX-22) F-35 detachment aboard Edwards Air Force Base, California. As the Aircraft Maintenance Officer, he facilitated the detachment's initial acceptance of F-35B aircraft, Safe for Flight certification, and sea trials aboard the USS Wasp.
In June 2016, Captain Landas was selected for the Special Education Program and earned a Master of Science in Modeling, Virtual Environments, and Simulation (MOVES) from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, California.
In October 2018, Major Landas was assigned to the Joint Staff J7 Deputy Directorate for Joint Training in Suffolk, Virginia as a Modeling and Simulations Officer on the Environment Operations Division's Technical Teams. During this tour, he oversaw the entirety of technical activities for Cyber Flag 2019 and then was selected to serve as the Executive Assistant to the Deputy Director for Joint Training.
From July 2021 to 2023, he served as the Operations Officer, S-4 (Logistics) Officer, and Aviation Logistics Information Management System (ALIMS) Division Officer for Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 24 (MALS-24) in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. During this tour, Major Landas oversaw the successful deployment of aviation logistics detachments in support of real-world “Summer Exercise”, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), U.S. Pacific Command Homeland Defense operations, and multiple squadron detachments throughout the Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility.
Lieutenant Colonel Landas served as the Aviation Maintenance Branch Head and Aircraft Maintenance Officer for U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific's Aviation Logistics Division from July 2023 to June 2024. During that tour, he was responsible for the successful sustainment of over 660 aircraft deployed throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
Lieutenant Colonel Landas assumed command of Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit Cherry Point in June 2024.
Lieutenant Colonel Landas' personal awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with gold star, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with two gold stars.