Rear Adm. (ret.) John F. Kirby

Rear Adm. (ret.) John F. Kirby, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense, a role he’s held since January 2021. Mr. Kirby advises Secretary of Defense Lloyd. J. Austin III and Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks on public communications and community engagement. He also serves as the Department’s chief spokesperson. Mr. Kirby has more than 30 years of experience working within the U.S. State Department, as a CNN analyst, and as a naval public affairs officer, most notably as the Chief of Information, the highest public affairs position within the Navy.