Captain Nerney brings 30 years of combined active and reserve U.S. Navy service, retiring at the rank of Captain (O-6), along with an extensive civilian career supporting the Department of Defense. His expertise spans Naval Aviation, Space, Cyber, Electronic Warfare, Unmanned Systems, and Joint Military Operations, giving him a rare ability to bridge operational warfighting experience with deep technical and programmatic knowledge.

Throughout his military career, Captain Nerney flew over 1,100 hours in the EA-6B Prowler, including 100 combat missions in Bosnia and Iraq, and served as Director of the Naval Amphibious Liaison Element at the Combined Air and Space Operations Center in Qatar. As NSWCDD Cyber Lead, he established one of only ten NSA-certified Cyber Red Teams in the Department of Defense. Most recently, he served as Corporate Navy and USMC Portfolio Manager at Applied Research Associates, driving numerous new Navy relationships and contracts across key defense programs.