Ernest Snowden is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a former naval aviator. After active duty, he continued in the naval reserve as an aeronautical engineering duty officer until his retirement. As a Navy civilian, he was the Business Manager for the Maintenance Policy in the Naval Air Systems Command, then staff assistant to the Deputy Director for Research and Engineering in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He worked for a succession of aerospace and defense firms in marketing and strategy position.