Captain Thor Martinsen hails from San Mateo, California. He began his military service in 1992 enlisting in the U.S. Air Force as an avionics technician and serving with the Pacific Air Force in Korea and Japan.
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In 1997 Martinsen was selected for Navy Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, FL and received his commission in August of that year. His first naval service was as a student naval aviator flying T-37B and T-45A aircraft with VT-8 and VT-21 respectively. In 2000 he redesignated as a Special Duty Officer, Cryptology, and attended the Navy Cryptologic Officer’s Basic Course at NTTC Corry Station, Pensacola, FL, where he graduated with honors.
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Martinsen’s first assignment as a Cryptologist was at Naval Security Group Activity (NSGA) Kunia, Hawaii, where he served as a Senior Watch Officer and later as the N31 Department Head. In July 2003 he reported aboard USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) as the Electronic Warfare Officer and Ship’s Signals Exploitation Space (SSES) Division Officer. During this assignment he made two war-time deployments to FIFTH Fleet in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), earning the Combat Action Ribbon.
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In 2005 he was selected to attend the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, CA where he earned dual master’s degrees in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics. He returned to sea in November 2007 reporting aboard Amphibious Squadron Three as the staff Cryptologic Resource Coordinator (CRC) and Deputy Information Warfare Commander (DIWC) for Peleliu Expeditionary Strike Group (PELESG). During this assignment he deployed to SEVENTH and FIFTH Fleets in support of OIF and the GWOT.
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In January 2010, he assumed duty as Officer in Charge, Center for Information Dominance, Detachment, Monterey (CIDDM). On October 31, 2011 the Secretary of the Navy disestablished CIDDM and CAPT Martinsen became plank owner and the first Commanding Officer of Information Warfare Training Command Monterey (IWTC); a NETC echelon four training command responsible for all language training in the United States Navy.
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In October 2012, he reported to the Naval Postgraduate School where he initially served as Staff Information Warfare Officer, as well as Program Officer and Military lecturer for the Applied Mathematics and Electrical and Computer Engineering curricula. In September 2013 CAPT Martinsen was selected for the Navy Permanent Military Professor (PMP) program and subsequently completed his PhD in applied mathematics at NPS. CAPT Martinsen is assigned to the Department of Applied Mathematics and the Cyber Academic Group at NPS. Here he teaches and conducts research in the areas of mathematics, cryptography, electronic warfare, and cybersecurity. From 2018 to 2024 he held an academic appointment as Assistant Professor. In 2024, based upon his teaching, research, and service contributions, he was promoted to Associate Professor.
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​In addition to his teaching and research duties, CAPT Martinsen has served in numerous NPS academic leadership positions. From 2018-2023 he served as Associate Chair of the department of Applied Mathematics; first as Associate Chair for Research from 2018 through 2019 and subsequently as Associate Chair for Student Programs. From 2020 to 2021 CAPT Martinsen served as Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Engineering & Applied Sciences. From 2023 through 2024 he served as Dean of Students and Commanding Officer of the NPS Student Military Element. He currently serves as Associate Provost for Academic Affairs.
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CAPT Martinsen is a Fulbright Scholar, Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics and Its Applications, Fellow of the Institute for Combinatorics and Its Application, and a Senior Member of IEEE. He is an elected member of the Sigma Xi international scientific research honor society, as well an elected member of the Alpha Chi, Pi Mu Epsilon, Upsilon Pi Epsilon and Eta Kappa Nu academic honor societies. In addition to his graduate degrees from NPS, he holds degrees in Mathematics from Skidmore College and the University of Maryland, as well as degrees in Electrical Engineering Technology from Thomas Edison State College and the Community College of the Air Force.
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He proudly wears the Information Warfare Officer and Fleet Marine Force Officer warfare devices. His personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (two awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal (two awards), Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal (two awards) and various campaign awards.
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