Andrew Wood is a Principal at Potomac Advocates, a premier defense, intelligence, space, science and technology research and consulting firm based in Washington, D.C.
Andrew retired from the United States Air Force in July 2023 after over 30 years of service as a career Intelligence Officer. His last USAF assignment was at the Pentagon working as a command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) liaison to the Senate and House Congressional Appropriations Defense Subcommittees. His portfolio covered intelligence and cyber programs worth over $4 billion, including AF DCGS, MQ-9, U-2, RC-135, RQ-4, AWACS, ABMS, and COMPASS CALL. Prior to his final assignment at the Pentagon, he was the Commander of the 485th Intelligence Squadron, Mainz-Kastel, Germany. The squadron is a highly specialized, geographically separated unit spread across three locations in Europe. He led 100 Airmen specialized in signals intelligence, telecommunications, cyber transport, engineering, and logistics supporting three Combatant Commands and interagency operations.
Andrew enlisted in the Air Force in 1993 and earned his commission in 2004 from Officer Training School, after serving for nearly 12 years as an enlisted, intelligence operations analyst and targeteer. Upon graduating from the Intelligence Officer’s school at the top of his class, he was assigned to Hurlburt Field, FL, where he stood up intelligence operations for the 319th Special Operations Squadron. As the Chief of Intelligence, he deployed multiple times with the squadron to both Iraq and Afghanistan. He was later assigned as a flight commander and mission operations commander for the 11th Intelligence Squadron, where he worked ISR operations with a joint special operations task force. He was hand selected for the Air Force’s Intel Assignments and Deployments team at the Air Force Personnel Center Headquarters (HQ AFPC) and eventually as the Executive Officer for the Plans, Programs, Requirements and Assessments Directorate of the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Agency (AF ISR Agency). He served as the Director of Operations (DO), 13th Intelligence Squadron, Beale Air Force Base, California where he led over 500 Airmen and was responsible for directing and managing the delivery of real-time, accurate ISR through the execution of the Distributed Common Ground System, both in garrison and deployed. Upon graduation from the Air Command and Staff College in 2015, he was by-name-requested for his first assignment at the Pentagon as a Legislative Liaison.
He has completed multiple combat deployments and taken part in operations, planning, and joint warfighting support for Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, NORTHERN WATCH, ALLIED FORCE, ENDURING FREEDOM, and IRAQI FREEDOM. He has an extensive background in Special Operations, targeting, information operations, SIGINT, IMINT, ISR operations, and Congressional Affairs.
Andrew holds Master’s degrees in both Military Operational Art and Science and Strategic Intelligence and a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Psychology. He is married to his wife of 30 years, Rachel Wood, and has two children, Shaye (27) and Taylor (25).