The Senate has confirmed Anthony Tata as the new under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness. Legislators on Tuesday voted 52-46, with all Republicans present in favor of Tata’s appointment to the role and Democrats opposing it.
Who is Anthony Tata?
Tata is a retired Army brigadier general who served as deputy under secretary of defense for policy during President Donald Trump’s first term. He also performed the duties of under secretary of defense for policy from November 2020 to January 2021, following John Rood’s departure from the role.
According to his bio on the DOD website, Tata served in the Army for 28 years. He was a commander of a paratrooper battalion in the 82nd Airborne Division and an air assault brigade in the 101st Airborne Division during his time in the military. He was also appointed as deputy commanding general of the 10th Mountain Division and Joint Task Force 76 in Afghanistan.
Anthony Tata’s Plan for the DOD
During his confirmation hearing, Tata told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he would work with Congress and DOD leadership to ensure that the department could recruit and retain personnel.
“If confirmed, I will assess how we train and assign our Service members to support their ability to maintain currency in constantly changing fields. In addition to balancing the active duty and civilian workforce, I believe we need to assess how we best utilize the talent of our Reserve Component personnel,” he added.
