Anthony Tata
Under Secretary of War for Personnel and Readiness
Anthony Jean Tata was born in September 1959 in Norfolk, Virginia. He graduated from the Military Academy at West Point. He earned master’s degrees from The Catholic University of America and the School of Advanced Military Studies. He also graduated from the U.S. Army Ranger School.
During his 28-year career in the U.S. Army, Tata commanded a paratrooper battalion and an air assault brigade. He later served as deputy commanding general of the 10th Mountain Division and Joint Task Force 76 in Afghanistan. He became deputy director of Joint Concept Development and Experimentation as well as the Joint IED Defeat Organization.
After retiring from the military as a brigadier general, Tata became Chief Operating Officer of Washington, D.C. Public Schools, Superintendent of Wake County (Raleigh, NC) Public School System, and Secretary of Transportation of North Carolina.
Tata returned to the Pentagon to serve as a senior advisor to the defense secretary in 2020, and briefly served as Under Secretary of War for Policy at the end of President Trump’s first term. President Trump nominated Tata to be Under Secretary of War for Personnel and Readiness in February 2025. He was confirmed by the Senate and assumed office in July 2025.
He is twice divorced, currently married to Jodi Amanda. He has two children. He is an author of military fiction thrillers.
In the News…
Under Secretary of War for Personnel and Readiness Anthony Tata has been tasked with a month-long review of the Pentagon’s hazing, bullying, and harassment policy for the U.S. military.
Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the current definitions of such behavior are “overly broad, jeopardizing combat readiness, mission accomplishment, and trust in the organization.”
The war secretary stated that commanders may be distracted from their core mission due to the burden of administrative tasks. He said the purpose of the review is to “strike balance, ensuring leaders have the tools necessary to foster a warrior ethos rooted in mutual respect and accountability, while also maintaining a lethal and ready Force.”
