A native of Tennessee, Rear Admiral Tony Cothron retired from the U.S. Navy in January 2009 after thirty-one years of service. Upon retiring from active duty, he was employed with General Dynamics Information Technology as the Vice President for Customer Requirements where he led opportunity development for a multi-billion-dollar IT services business supporting the Intelligence Community. Rear Admiral Cothron currently serves as the Chairman of the Board for the Naval Intelligence Professionals. In August 2021, he was led to join the faculty at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA and is a full time Associate Professor and Director of Intelligence Programs in the Helms School of Government.

Rear Admiral Cothron’s Naval career included duty as an Intelligence Officer at every level, from ship/squadron to Fleet and the Pentagon. His experience includes ocean surveillance and tactical analysis of the Soviet Fleet during the Cold War, combat operations against Iraq during Desert Storm as the Air Wing Intelligence Officer aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) and at Sixth Fleet as the N2, Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence during the Kosovo conflict where he led the Navy’s TLAM targeting for 213 cruise missiles. Rear Admiral Cothron had command of the US European Command’s Joint Analysis Center during the 9/11 attacks and later served as Commander of the Officer of Naval Intelligence. As a Flag Officer, Rear Admiral Cothron served at the National Security Agency, as the Navy’s 62nd Director of Naval Intelligence and as Executive Assistant to the Director of National Intelligence.