The “Red Tie” Award

During his 31 years of distinguished service in the Navy as an intelligence officer, RDML Tony Cothron served as Executive Assistant to the Director of National Intelligence, as the sixty second Director of Naval Intelligence, as the Deputy Director for Customer Requirements at the National Security Agency, as the Commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence, and as the Commander of the U.S. European Command's Joint Analysis Center. His operational experience included intelligence duty at every level. He served aboard USS America (CV-66), in Patrol Squadron Special Projects Unit One (VPU-1), in Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW-8) aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) for combat operations during Operation Desert Storm, as Battle Group Director of Intelligence aboard USS George Washington (CVN-73 and as Sixth Fleet Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence during combat planning and operations for Operation Allied Force against the Former Republic of Yugoslavia. RDML Cothron served ashore in assignments as a submarine analyst, instructor for Operational Intelligence, a senior watch officer, and Division head leading the collection, analysis, and dissemination of timely, relevant, and predictive intelligence for National, Joint and, Fleet forces.

After retiring from the US Navy in 2009, RDML Cothron began a career in industry as Vice President for Customer Engagement for General Dynamics Information Technology's Intelligence and Homeland Security Division. After retirement from General Dynamics in 2021, he subsequently joined Liberty University as an Associate Professor of Government and the Director of National Security and Intelligence Programs.