Anthony Michael Kurta (born September 4, 1959) is a retired
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
's nominee to become Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. Kurta previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Personnel Policy and Director of Navy Flag Officer Management and Development.
Kurta is the son of John Anthony Kurta (January 27, 1922 – June 17, 1993) and Virginia Elizabeth (Malone) Kurta (May 3, 1922 – January 12, 1970). He was born in
Deer Lodge, Montana
Deer Lodge is a city in and the county seat of Powell County, Montana, Powell County, Montana, United States. The population was 2,938 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census.
Description
The city is perhaps best known as the home of t ...
and raised in
Columbia Falls, Montana
Columbia Falls is a city along the Flathead River in Flathead County, Montana, United States. The population was 5,308 at the 2020 census. Columbia Falls has been ranked as one of the best and safest places to live in Montana.
History
The ...
. Kurta graduated from the
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...
in 1981. He later earned an M.A. in National Security Studies from
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...
.
Kurta served 32 years on active duty as a Navy Surface Warfare Officer, during which time he commanded the
USS Sentry (MCM-3)
USS ''Sentry'' (MCM-3), an mine countermeasures ship, is the second U.S. Navy ship of that name. ''Sentry'' was laid down on 8 October 1984 by Peterson Builders in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin; launched on 20 September 1986 and commissioned on 2 Se ...
,
USS Guardian (MCM-5)
USS ''Guardian'' (MCM-5) was an of the United States Navy, and was the second Navy ship to bear that name. The hulls of the ''Avenger''-class ships were constructed of wood with an external coat of fiberglass.
''Guardian'' was laid down on 8 M ...
,
USS Warrior (MCM-10)
USS ''Warrior'' (MCM-10) is an of the United States Navy.
The ''Avenger''-class ships were designed to have very low acoustic and magnetic signatures to avoid detonating mines. While most modern warships have steel hulls, the ''Avengers'' have ...
,
USS Carney
USS ''Carney'' (DDG-64) is the 14th in the United States Navy. The ship is the first to be named after Admiral Robert Carney who served as Chief of Naval Operations during the Eisenhower administration.
''Carney'' was laid down 3 August 1993 at ...
, Destroyer Squadron Two Four, and
Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa
Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) is a joint task force of United States Africa Command (AFRICOM). It originated under Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa (OEF-HOA) as part of the United States response to the Se ...
. He is a recipient of the
Defense Superior Service Medal
The Defense Superior Service Medal (DSSM) is a military decoration of the United States Department of Defense, which is presented to United States Armed Forces service members who perform superior meritorious service in a position of significant ...
,
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...
Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation.
Examples include:
*Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action
* Distinguishe ...
Secretary of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Award
The Secretary of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Award is the second highest career award presented by the Department of Defense. It is presented for exceptionally noteworthy service of major significance to the Department of Defense as a who ...
.
Kurta's nomination to be a Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense was reported favorably by the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services on November 16, 2017 but failed to receive consideration by the full Senate. The nomination was withdrawn on September 28, 2018.