Colonel Andrew Zinn joined the Eisenhower School faculty in 2023 and teaches the Senior Acquisition and Strategic Acquisition and Resourcing Courses. Prior to his time at Eisenhower, he served as the Military Deputy to the Missile Defense Agency’s Director for Engineering at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
Colonel Zinn is an Air Force acquisition professional specializing in space and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems, and combating weapons of mass destruction. As a developmental engineer, Colonel Zinn has served in program offices for the T-6A primary aircraft trainer, space systems development planning, National Reconnaissance Office, and Global Positioning System. As a Captain, he deployed as a crew commander for a unit monitoring satellite communications in support of overseas contingency operations. While serving in the Joint Staff’s Force Structure, Resources, and Assessment Directorate (J8), Colonel Zinn shaped space control and launch capabilities, improving space integration with the traditional warfighting domains. Prior to his tour at MDA, he commanded the 23d Analysis Squadron at the Air Force Technical Applications Center in support of the unit’s worldwide mission to monitor and report on nuclear detonations.
Col Zinn gained his commission through the University of Portland’s Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program in 1999 and subsequently earned master’s degrees in systems engineering, strategic intelligence, and strategic studies. Col Zinn is a distinguished graduate of the Army War College and has published articles for Defense Acquisition Magazine and the Military Operations Research Society. He and his wife have two teenage boys and the family enjoys watersports and other outdoor activities.