RADM (Ret.) Doug Small

President

DWS Strategies, LLC

Rear Admiral Doug Small is a native of Birchwood, Wisconsin. He is a 1988 graduate of Marquette University in Milwaukee with a Bachelor of Science in Physics, and was commissioned through NROTC. He also holds a Doctorate in Physics from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.

Operational tours included Main Propulsion Assistant on USS Camden (AOE 2), Combat Systems Officer (Plankowner) on USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), and Technical Director of Joint CREW Composite Squadron (JCCS) 1. He deployed in support of Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom.

Transitioning from Surface Warfare to Engineering Duty Officer, he focused on research,
development, and acquisition of warfare systems, starting at the Naval Surface Warfare Center,
Dahlgren Division and then the Missile Defense Agency. Moving to the Program Executive
Office for Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS), Small was the Electronic Warfare assistant
and then the Major Program Manager for Above Water Sensors (PEO IWS 2), leading the
development and acquisition of significant improvements for the Navy in Electronic Warfare,
radar, and laser weapons. He next served as the Executive Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of
the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, the Navy’s Acquisition Executive.

Selected for Flag Officer in 2016, his first assignment was Program Executive Officer for IWS,
where he led the team responsible for development, delivery, and sustainment of all surface navy
sensor, combat, and weapon systems. In August 2020, he assumed command of the Naval
Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR), leading a global workforce of over
11,000 civilian and military professionals who design, develop, install, and support Navy and
Marine Corps networking, communications, information, and cyber capabilities and systems. He
was also assigned by the Chief of Naval Operations as the first Direct Reporting Program
Manager for Project Overmatch, where he built the team responsible for developing and
delivering a generational update to the Naval Operational Architecture.

Over the years his teams were awarded the Army Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Navy
Unit Commendation, multiple (Navy) Meritorious Unit Commendations, and a Packard Award
for acquisition excellence.

Since his retirement from active duty in October 2024, he provides consulting services through
his company, DWS Strategies, LLC. As a board member and strategic advisor, he provides
expert help to companies navigating Defense and National Security Acquisition.

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