Commander Mate Ærandir currently serves as the Executive Officer for the Hopper Global Communications Center within the Office of Naval Intelligence, where he drives day-to-day execution of command operations, readiness, training, administration, and discipline for over 600 military, civilian, and contracted personnel delivering global, resilient, and redundant SCI network connectivity to enable battlespace awareness, assured command and control, and decision advantage to the Fleet.  

Commander Ærandir is a native of Santa Monica, California.  He commissioned in 2005 via NROTC after graduating with distinction from the University of Washington with a double Bachelor’s degree in (Socio) Linguistics and Slavic Languages and Literatures. In addition to a Master’s Certificate in Space Systems Operations, CDR Ærandir holds a Master of Arts degree with distinction in Security Studies (Europe and Eurasia) from the Naval Postgraduate School of National Security Affairs, and a Masters of International Public (Space) Policy from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies through the United States Space Force War College.  

CDR Ærandir’s operational assignments include tours aboard the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN-72) as the Intelligence Systems Officer and Intelligence Division Officer; and aboard the USS NIMITZ (CVN-68) as the Assistant Intelligence Officer and Tactical Action Officer, deployed in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and crisis response to events in North Korea and Syria in 2013.  In 2023, he deployed again with the NIMITZ Carrier Strike Group for Western Pacific presence operations as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Battlespace Awareness (N2).    

A fully-Joint Qualified Officer, CDR Ærandir’s joint tours include assignment to NORAD-USNORTHCOM as the Deputy Director of Intelligence for Terrorism, as the Targeting Operations Officer, and Senior Targeteer with two in-country deployments in support of Operation VITAL ENDEAVOR, working with interagency partners to find, fix, and apprehend designated targets.  CDR Ærandir also served at the Defense Intelligence Agency within the Defense Combating Terrorism Center as the Branch Chief for Defense Counterterrorism Strategy, Policy, and Plans; as Branch Chief for Reserve Requirements within the Reserve Integration Office; as Aide-de-Camp to the Director; and as the Russia-China Foreign Policy analyst within the Asia-Pacific Regional Center.  Most recently, CDR Ærandir served as Director of the Commander’s Action Group, U.S. Special Operations Command, Pacific following earlier assignments as Command Liaison to the National Capital Region; Branch Chief for Counter-PRC and C-WMD operations; Deputy Division Chief of the Joint Intelligence Support Element; and Special Operations intelligence lead representative to the INDOPACOM SHADOW WHISPER program.