 Spider attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point for his bachelor's degree in Engineering, followed by a Master's in International Affairs from the University of Virginia and with an MS in Theater Operations from the School of Advanced Military Studies at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.Before serving as the CEO of GLS, Spider was the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Intelligence Center at Ft. Huachuca, Arizona.He retired from the U.S. Army in 2004.