Kurt W. Tidd

Kurt W. Tidd
Admiral Kurt W. Tidd
Born (1956-03-26) March 26, 1956 (age 68)
Honolulu, Hawaii
AllegianceUnited States
Service / branchUnited States Navy
Years of service1978–2018
RankAdmiral
CommandsUnited States Southern Command
United States Naval Forces Southern Command
United States Fourth Fleet
Carrier Strike Group 8
Middle East Force
Task Force 55
Destroyer Squadron 50
USS Arthur W. Radford (DD-968)
Battles / warsWar in Afghanistan
Iraq War
AwardsDefense Distinguished Service Medal (3)
Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit (4)
RelationsEmmett Hulcy Tidd (father)
Mark L. Tidd (brother)

Kurt Walter Tidd[1] (born March 26, 1956) is a retired United States Navy admiral. He last served as the Commander, United States Southern Command. Prior to that assignment, Tidd served as Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He also served as the Director for Operations, Joint Staff (J-3) from 2012 to 2013, and as Commander, United States Naval Forces Southern Command and United States Fourth Fleet from August 5, 2011, to June 22, 2012. Confirmed by the Senate on December 16, 2015, Tidd received his fourth star and succeeded John F. Kelly as commander of United States Southern Command on January 14, 2016. Tidd held the title of "Old salt",[2] which means he received his qualification for Surface Warfare before any other active-duty navy officer. He passed said title to Admiral Philip S. Davidson upon his retirement. Upon the May 30, 2018, retirement of his United States Naval Academy classmate, Admiral Harry B. Harris Jr., Tidd also gained the honorific of "Old Goat" – the longest-serving Naval Academy graduate on active duty. Harris presented Tidd with the Old Goat decanter in a ceremony on April 11, 2018.[3]

  1. ^ "Kurt Tidd – Recipient -". valor.militarytimes.com.
  2. ^ Morris, Tyrell (22 June 2015). "Vice Adm. Tidd Receives Surface Navy Association's "Old Salt" Award". U.S. Navy.
  3. ^ Garamone, Jim (11 April 2018). "Pacom's Harris Passes 'Old Goat' Award to Southcom's Tidd". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved 16 April 2018.