Gary Kurtz
Patuxent River, MD — NAVAIR’s Acquisition Program Management (AIR 1.0) organization recently gained a new leader, who acknowledged managing AIR 1.0 had been a longtime goal.
Gary Kurtz, who became AIR 1.0’s new assistant commander for Acquisition on May 7, was previously NAVAIR’s assistant commander for Corporate Operations (AIR 7.0) from 2007-2015, and has served with the command for more than 30 years.
Kurtz replaced Keith Sanders, who is now director, Integrated Systems Evaluation Experimentation and Test Department (ISEET) (AIR 5.1).
The new assistant commander inherits an estimated $2 billion portfolio, which includes six program offices and seven departments that comprise the Program Management Competency. AIR 1.0’s program offices manage more than 16 specialized aircraft platforms and provide commodity products for every air-capable naval ship and aircraft, to include secure radios; GPS navigation equipment; aircrew and maintenance simulators;flight gear; and a broad array of support equipment.
With a footprint in almost every NAVAIR program office and platform, AIR 1.0 also provides policy, processes, tools and training for a workforce of more than 900 program management professionals.
“It has always been a dream of mine to lead AIR 1.0,” Kurtz said. “Early in my career at NAVAIR, I was asked to share my short- and long-term career goals during a leadership development program. I wrote, ‘To one day lead AIR 1.0.’ I am very excited to be here.”
Kurtz’s path to his “dream job” began in 1984, when he served as a logistics manager for the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18 and SH-60 Foreign Military Sales programs. In 1992, he was assigned as the Foreign Military Sales product support team leader for all F/A-18, P-3, SH-60, AH-1W, and SH-2 FMS logistics programs, where he oversaw all logistics planning for allied nations.
In 1995, Kurtz joined the F/A-18 Program Office (PMA-265) as the operations officer for F/A-18C/D operations. From 1997 to 2001, he was the deputy program manager for the U.S. Naval Undergraduate Flight Training Systems Program Office (PMA-273), where he directed and managed the implementation of life-cycle weapons systems acquisition for the Navy’s T-45 Advanced Jet Trainer and the T-6 Joint Primary Aircraft Trainer System Programs.
Kurtz was then selected as director of Corporate Operations for the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) in 2001 before transitioning to deputy assistant commander for AIR 7.0 in 2004, and then the assistant commander for Corporate Operations in 2007 upon his selection into the Senior Executive Service.
Kurtz’s educational background has an engineering and management focus. He holds a Master of Science degree in management from Florida Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s in aeronautical engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.