
CPT(P) Joseph Potter
Instructor
Course Director
Department of Military Instruction
CPT Joseph Potter is an Instructor and Course Director within the Defense and Strategic Studies Department (DSS) at the United States Military Academy. He is a 2015 graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara and holds a Master of Science degree in Geological Engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology and a Master of Science degree in Political Science from Utah State University.
CPT Potter has previously served as an Infantry Officer in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), the 75th Ranger Regiment (Fort Benning, GA), and the 2nd Infantry Division (Joint Base Lewis–McChord, WA). He has deployed in support of NATO missions in Germany and Romania, as well as combat operations in Afghanistan as part of Operation Freedom Sentinel.
CPT Potter's research interests include irregular forces, maritime security, Indo-Pacific relations, security cooperation, information warfare, and Russian strategy. He and his wife, Sarah, are a dual military couple and have one son, Clayton.
BA Political Science - University of California, Santa Barbara (2015)
Master of Science in Geological Engineering - Missouri University of Science and Technology (2021)
Master of Science in Political Science - Utah State University (2025)