Thomas McClelland is a decorated U.S. Navy veteran who served in the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm.

He attended the Naval War College and later earned a master's degree in Business Administration from New Mexico Highlands University.

He has commanded the VA-97 Warhawks, Carrier Air Wing NINE, and the Amphibious Cargo Ship, USS St. Louis (LKA-116), in Sasebo, Japan.

Captain McClelland's shore duty assignments include Instructor Pilot and Safety Officer for VA-122 in Lemoore, CA; A-7 Projects Officer at the Naval Weapons Evaluation Facility in Albuquerque, NM; Director of the Technical Support Group for the Director of Naval Warfare in Washington DC; Force Readiness Officer for Commander Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet; Deputy and Chief of Staff for the Chief of Naval Education and Training in Pensacola, FL; and his final active duty assignment as Chief of Staff for the Commander in Chief, U.S.

[3] Rating: Naval Aviator Flight hours: More than 4,700 Carrier Landing: More than 1,200[4] Aircraft flown: 23 McClelland's awards include: