Doug Denneny

Douglas J. Denneny (1962) is a retired American Naval Flight Officer and a candidate for the House of Representatives in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District. He served twenty-two years as a U.S. Naval Flight Officer, commanded a Navy fighter squadron from 2001 – 2004, and was highly decorated for flying in combat.

He is a native of San Diego, California and grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona where he attended and graduated from Chaparral High School in 1980. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1984 and was elected president of the academy’s student branch of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Association. He received a Master’s in National Security Studies from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in 1999 and a Certificate in Legislative Studies from Georgetown University’s Government Affairs Institute in 2001. He studied briefly at Oxford University in England while pursuing his Masters Degree from Georgetown. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Naval War College (non-resident seminar program) and the U.S. Armed Forces Staff College.

From 1984 to 1999 he served as a Naval Flight Officer, flying in the back seat of Navy F-14 fighters. During this time he was selected as the top student in his Radar Intercept Officer class, and was the 1996 Pacific Fleet F-14 Tomcat Radar Intercept Officer of the Year.

He attended the prestigious U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) and was invited back to serve as an instructor for a two-year assignment.

He deployed on aircraft carriers to conflicts involving the U.S. and Libya, Iraq, Iran and Somalia, flying in both the F-14 Tomcat and the F/A-18F Super Hornet.

In 1999 he was selected as a national finalist for the White House Fellowship Program, and from 1999 – 2000 he worked as a non-partisan Military Legislative Fellow on Capitol Hill for U.S. Senator John McCain.

Service in the Iraq War

From 2001 – 2004 he served as Executive Officer and Commanding Officer of a Navy F-14 Tomcat and F/A-18 Super Hornet Squadron. In March, 2003 Denneny led the first strike element of non-stealth aircraft over Baghdad. He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross with V for valor in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

From 2004 to 2005 he worked as Special Assistant and Speechwriter for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and from 2005 to 2006 served as Deputy Legislative Assistant for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Denneny was selected to the rank of Captain (O-6) in the U.S. Navy, but declined the promotion and retired at the rank of Commander in 2006.

Personal Life

Doug Denneny was married in 1989 in Virginia Beach, Virginia and he and his wife live with their two children in Fairfax, Virginia.

Community Involvement

Doug Denneny served on the Fairfax County Tyson’s Corner Land Use Task Force from 2006-07 and is the elected and serving President of the Mantua Citizens’ Association where he represents the interests of a community of over 1600 homes. He serves on the Fairfax County Environmental Quality Advisory Council and the Fairfax County Industrial Development Authority.

Campaign for Congress

He announced on August 1, 2007 that he would seek the democratic nomination to run against Republican Representative Tom Davis in VA’s 11th Congressional District.

http://www.apj.us/050899Finalists.html
http://www.dfcsociety.org/citation_detail.asp?ID=3852

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