Commander William C. Spears is a submarine warfare officer in the U.S. Navy. He writes on leadership, ethics, and military topics. His book Stoicism as a Warrior Philosophy released in the United Kingdom and United States in fall of 2025. It is carried by all major booksellers.
A native of Pineville, Louisiana, William enlisted in the U.S. Navy’s nuclear propulsion program after high school. Upon completing technical training, he was admitted to the United States Naval Academy, graduating in 2008 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and commissioning as an officer. Today, he also holds advanced degrees from the Naval Postgraduate School, the Air Command and Staff College, and the Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy.
William has served in nuclear-powered submarines across a variety of classes and mission profiles, including duty as the Weapons Officer of a fast-attack submarine and the Executive Officer of a Trident missile submarine. Ashore, he has served as a tactical evaluator on an inspection team responsible to assess the combat readiness of U.S. submarines, and as an operations analyst in the Office of the Secretary of War (OSW CAPE) in the Pentagon. He is currently in the training pipeline for submarine command, after which he will report as the Deputy Commander for Readiness at Submarine Squadron 20 in King’s Bay, GA.
William resides wherever the Navy requires him and is married with three children. In addition to writing, his hobbies include winemaking, staying in shape, and antagonizing his family with philosophical inquiry. You can connect with him on LinkedIn or at his Substack.
William C. Spears 