An Action-Packed Journey
Dr. Jeffrey Wilson ’88 draws on his military and medical background to craft novels about covert ops and dangerous missions
March 14, 2025
By
Jackson Maynard ’25
From William & Mary biology student to combat surgeon to best-selling author, the life of Dr. Jeffrey Wilson ’88 could be the inspiration for a character in one of his adventure thrillers. With co-author Brian Andrews, Wilson has written for Tom Clancy’s “Jack Ryan” series in addition to their own franchises, such as “Shepherds Series” and “Tier One.”
Wilson grew up in the Williamsburg area and became a paramedic after high school. A year later, he decided to attend William & Mary because of its location and reputation. In addition to the science courses he took as a biology major, Wilson values William & Mary’s emphasis on holistic liberal arts studies.
“Let’s say you want to be a biology major and go to medical school as a kid — you have this narrow focus,” Wilson says. “But once you start sampling other classes — which is a key aspect of William & Mary — you realize all of that experience and knowledge is going to be impactful.”
Wilson remembers an anthropology course he took at William & Mary that he says “broadened my mind and interest in how the world works and in the history of the world." The class allowed Wilson to see through a broader cultural lens and to consider perspectives other than his own.
After his graduation from William & Mary, he joined the Navy in hopes of becoming a pilot. Unfortunately, after being injured in a motorcycle accident, he missed the window for a pilot position and these dreams were sidelined. Instead, he served in other parts of the government before deciding to go to medical school. Prior to attending Eastern Virginia Medical School, Wilson was able to take graduate-level classes at William & Mary, where he served as a teaching assistant in the biology department and as a lab assistant for the late Professor of Biology Henry Aceto Jr.
“William & Mary helped me with that transition, not just to boost my application, but also because I had been out of school for a while,” he says. In recent years, William & Mary has expanded its programs for veterans and military service members, including the Veteran-to-Executive Transition program.
After finishing medical school, Wilson became a vascular surgeon and planned to teach classes at universities while still serving as a Navy reservist. However, in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Wilson wanted to serve his country and returned to active duty. He served in Iraq on the front lines of combat as a Forward Resuscitative Surgery System (FRSS) team surgeon participating in battlefield surgeries. While in that role, Wilson was offered the position of surgeon for a Joint Special Operations Command task force. After his deployment from 2005-2007, he continued providing medical support and training for Naval Special Warfare units.
Throughout his Navy career, he says, writing became a form of respite — “a fun creative outlet during some high-stress jobs, a place where I could decompress.” He began writing short stories for competitions and eventually started working on novels.
He met Andrews at a writing conference in New York for thriller authors. Wilson noticed Andrews’ background as a Navy veteran and former submarine officer and initiated a conversation with him at the conference. The two hit it off and became good friends. A couple of years after the conference, Andrews suggested that they write a book together. Wilson initially declined, unsure of how the process would work. Instead, he offered to help Andrews plan the book and provide military expertise. During the planning, Wilson began to enjoy the story, and Andrews was able to persuade him to collaborate on the project.
As a writing team, Andrews and Wilson don’t outline their stories in advance but rather write as they go. Their style incorporates multiple points of view, and they divide those perspectives between them. Wilson says he believes their Navy backgrounds have been crucial to their success.
“The idea of team and mission before self is bred into you in the military,” he says. “One guy can't drive a submarine.”
Their military experience also helped them to be selected to write the Tom Clancy series after longtime author Marc Cameron stepped down from the role.
After writing their own parts of a chapter, the authors trade sections, editing and reworking the text, and then compare them to create a master file. The trust between the two authors means that both writers can make the changes they see fit.
The duo’s specialty is military and covert operations, but they have expanded to technological and scientific elements, as well as supernatural and spiritual themes. Wilson is excited about additional books, TV shows and movies to come. Currently, Legendary Entertainment is creating a show for the “Tier One” series. Additionally, their “Shepherds Series” is in development for production with Sony, and stories including “Portal,” “The In Between” and “4 Minutes” are in development as films.
"My goal in my work now is to honor the lives and sacrifices of my Navy teammates — and everyone who answers the call to protect our nation — reflecting their honor, commitment and sacrifice in the stories that Brian and I tell," Wilson says. "We want people to have a glimpse at the amazing relationships that are formed, but also the impact war can have on those relationships, our warriors and the families they leave behind."