Commodore
Capt. Matthew T. Pottenburgh

Capt. Matt Pottenburgh, a native of Galena, Ohio graduated from The Ohio State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design and received Distinguished Naval Graduate honors from Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps.  He holds a Master of Science in Operations Management from the University of Arkansas and a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from the National Defense University Dwight D. Eisenhower School. 
 
Commissioned an Ensign in March 1996, he went on to earn his Wings of Gold upon completion of Naval Flight Officer training in May 1997. His operational Maritime Patrol tours include the VP-40 “Fighting Marlins” at Whidbey Island, Washington; the VP-47 “Golden Swordsmen” in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; and command of the VP-5 “Mad Foxes” in Jacksonville, Florida where after a successful Western Pacific deployment, the squadron transitioned from the P-3C Orion to the P-8A Poseidon.  Additional operational tours include Flag Aide to Commander, U.S. SIXTH Fleet / Striking Forces NATO embarked aboard the USS LASALLE homeported in Gaeta, Italy; Aide de Camp to Commander, Joint Command Lisbon, Portugal; and as Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Operations Officer embedded with Multi-National Force-Iraq at Camp Slayer in Baghdad, Iraq.

His shore tours include Instructor Naval Flight Officer/Fleet NATOPS Evaluator/Weapons Tactics Instructor with the VP-30 “Pro’s Nest” Fleet Replacement Squadron; VP Officer Detailer in the Aviation Officer Distribution Branch (PERS-43) of Navy Personnel Command; Branch Chief and Chief of Staff in the Joint Chiefs of Staff in both the J6 Directorate for Command, Control, Communications, and Computers and J8 Directorate for Force Structure/Resources/Assessments; a fellow for the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) Service Chief’s Fellowship Program; and finally, as the Naval Aviation Section Head and Senior Budget Analyst in the Program Planning and Development Division in OPNAV N80 - “the Bullpen.”

In June 2018, Pottenburgh reported to Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing ELEVEN as Deputy Commander and assumed command as the 58th Commodore of Wing ELEVEN in March 2020.   

Pottenburgh has accumulated nearly 3,000 flight hours in the P-3C Orion and P-8A Poseidon.  His personal decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (2), Air Medal Strike/Flight Award (3), Joint Service Commendation Medal (2), Navy Commendation Medal (4), Navy Achievement Medal and various other unit and service awards.