On leaving the preparatory school of “Prytanée National Militaire” (La Flèche), he joined the Naval Academy in Lanvéoc (branch of Operations and Technics). After two years of academic training, during which he obtained his maritime engineering diploma, he went on the 2003-2004 JEANNE D’ARC mission to complete his fleet training at sea. He left the Naval Academy qualified in the “Missiles and Artillery” speciality. 

After his first assignment from 2004 to 2006 on the patrol ship La Glorieuse in New Caledonia, he returned to Brest in 2006, where he became the head of the weaponry service on the frigate Premier Maître l’Her. In addition to the missions in support of the Strategic Oceanic Forces, he conducted two deployments in the Indian Ocean (ENDURING FREEDOM in 2007 and ALCYON in 2008).  

Promoted to lieutenant in August 2008, he took a course at the “School of Combat and Naval Systems” at the Naval Instruction centre in Saint-Mandrier. He specialised in the Above Water Warfare systems. Between 2009 and 2011, he was assigned to the air defence destroyer Forbin as head of the missile section. In this role took part in the missions AGAPANTHE 2010 in the Indian Ocean and HAMATTAN (2011) off the coast of Libya. During this assignment, he dedicated himself to the testing, training and assurance of a new surface to air combat system: Principal Anti-Air Missile System (PAAMS). 

In 2011, he took command of the patrol ship La Tapageuse in Tahiti, which he sailed back to Brest for decommissioning. 

Between 2012 and 2014, he fulfilled the post of combat systems expert on the air defense destroyer Chevalier Paul. She operated in the Indian Ocean in an American carrier strike group and then deployed off the coast of Syria during the Syrian chemical weapons crisis in summer 2013. From 2016 to 2017, he was assigned to the aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle as Assistant Commander of Operations. In 2015 and 2016, he conducted two ARROMANCHES deployments in the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean. 

Promoted to commander in October 2016, he attended the 24th promotion of the War College in 2016 and 2017. He was then assigned to the department of human resources in the ministry of defense where he worked in the sub department “Military and Civilian Human Resources”, as chief of the “Employment, Competencies, Organization” office. 

He took command of the frigate Surcouf in July 2019, until January 2021. During this second command at sea, he conducted operations in the Indian Ocean and in the Eastern Mediterranean. After leaving command, he attended the “Nuclear Propulsion Engineering” course in Cherbourg and got a diploma in Nuclear Energy. Promoted to captain in June 2021, he stood from July 2021 until July 2022 in the Mediterranean maritime headquarter as Public Affairs Officer and spokesperson of the Commander In Chief for the Mediterranean. 

From July 2022 to July 2024, he assumed responsibility as executive officer of aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle. During this tour, he conducted two deployments in the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean (ANTARES and AKILA) in support of national and NATO operations. 

Since Juley 2024, he is the Program Officer in charge of the Future French Carrier (FFC), known as “Porte-avions de nouvelle génération” (PA-Ng).  Captain Thibault Lavernhe is a Knight of the National Order of Merit and of the Légion d’Honneur. Married since 2005, he is the father to height children.