CAPT. BEN SNELL
CHIEF OF STAFF, NAVAL INFORMATION WARFIGHTING DEVELOPMENT CENTER
14 September 2023
A native of Arizona, Capt. Snell was commissioned in June 1995 after graduation from Navy Officer Candidate School and was designated a Naval Intelligence officer in 1996. Capt. Snell is a graduate of National University with a B.S. degree in Criminal Justice, and of the Naval Postgraduate School with a M.A. in National Security Affairs. He enlisted in the Navy from 1981 until 1995 as an Anti- Submarine Warfare Operator, and a Search and Rescue Swimmer (AW / NAC) serving in HS and HSL squadrons making numerous deployments. While he was a law enforcement officer in Arizona from 1986 until 1989, he served in the Active Navy Reserves.
Capt. Snell has spent the majority of his operational career deploying to, and operating in, the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. He has served four tours in the U.S. Naval Central Command / U.S. 5
th Fleet / Combined Maritime Forces region; as the Executive Assistant to COMUSNAVCENT, Deputy Intelligence Officer to Carrier Strike Group TEN aboard USS Harry S, Truman (CVN 75); Maritime Intelligence Officer to COMUSNAVCENT; and Air Intelligence Officer aboard Patrol Squadron Four (VP-4).
Other operational tours include the EUCOM area of responsibility where he served at the Joint Analysis Center (JAC) Molesworth as the Balkans Air / Air Defense Chief in support of operations in the FRY, Macedonia, and Kosovo, and Senior Watch Officer and Executive to the JAC Commander, Deputy Commander, and Director of Operations.
Other leadership assignments include service as the deputy Executive Assistant to the Director of Naval Intelligence, Washington D.C.; Joint Forces Staff College as an Intelligence / Information Operations Instructor; and COMPACFLT N2 as a department head for Fleet Intelligence Support. He commanded Navy Expeditionary Intelligence Command from November 2013 until July 2016; Navy Expeditionary Combat Command N2 from August 2016 until June 2018; JIATF-S J2 / Commanding Officer Navy Element, Joint Interagency Task Force South from June 2018 until August 2020; and from August 2020 until June 2022, he served as Director, Fleet Intelligence and Information Warfare, United States Fleet Forces Command. Capt. Snell recently completed serving as Information Warfare Commander, CSG-12.
Military awards include the Defense Superior Service medal, Legion of Merit with three gold stars, Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf, Meritorious Service Medal with three gold stars, Navy Commendation Medal with three gold stars, and other personal awards. Capt. Snell is the recipient of the Naval Intelligence Foundation Adm. Bobby R. Inman Award for intelligence excellence, the Office of Naval Intelligence’s Edwin Layton Award for Leadership, and the Association of the United States Army Award for academic achievement.