Commissioned an Ensign in March 1996, he went on to earn his Wings of Gold upon completion of Naval Flight Officer training in May 1997. His operational Maritime Patrol tours include VP-40 and VP-47. Command assignments include VP-5 where after a successful Western Pacific deployment, the squadron transitioned from the P-3C Orion to the P-8A Poseidon and as Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing ELEVEN comprised of 2,600 Sailors and civilians, nine squadrons, and Aviation Support Detachment Jacksonville. Additional operational tours include Flag Aide to Commander, U.S. SIXTH Fleet / Striking Forces NATO aboard the USS LASALLE homeported in Gaeta, Italy; Aide de Camp to Commander, Joint Command Lisbon, Portugal; and as Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Operations Officer embedded with Multi-National Force-Iraq at Camp Slayer in Baghdad, Iraq.

Ashore, his tours include VP-30 Fleet Replacement Squadron; Officer Detailer at Navy Personnel Command; Branch Chief and Chief of Staff in the Joint Chiefs of Staff in both the J6 and J8; Naval Aviation Section Head and Budget Analyst in OPNAV N80; Deputy Director of OPNAV N83 Fleet Readiness Division; Executive Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Integration of Capabilities and Resources N8; Executive Assistant to the Vice Chief of Naval Operations and the Chief of Naval Operations.

Pottenburgh has accumulated over 3,000 flight hours in the P-3C, P-8A, and MQ-4C Triton.