John Kirby Biography

Rear Admiral John Kirby is an American politician and a retired Admiral in the US Navy. He is famously known as the Press secretary for the US State Department of Defense and is currently serving as the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs.

Early Life

John was born in the year 1963 but the exact date of his birth is unknown. Born in a Christian family, he spent the earlier days of his childhood in Saint Petersburg, Florida, USA. He has not shared much about his family and parents and is also not known to have any siblings.

John completed his high school graduation from St. Petersburg catholic high school in 1981 and went on to attend the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. He graduated in the year 1985 with a Bachelor’s degree in History.

John further went on to pursue his master’s in International relations from Troy University and also pursued a master’s in National security from Naval War College. He also attended Officer Candidate School and completed it in 1986.

John Kirby Career

Starting his career in 1986, John served in the US Navy as a surface warfare officer. He later took on the role of a public affairs officer and had notable assignments aboard the USS Forrestal aircraft carrier and the USS Mount Whitney command and control ship. John’s journey included being the editor-in-chief of the Navy’s flagship monthly magazine.

Progressing through the ranks, he became the Commander of US Naval Forces in Europe, the Chief of Naval Operations, and a Special Assistant for Public Affairs to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Additionally, he served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Media Operations.

In 2012, John began a new role as a rear admiral (lower) and took charge as the US Navy Chief of Information (CHINFO), becoming the main spokesperson for the Department of the Navy. The very next year, he served as Pentagon Press Secretary and later as rear admiral.

Moving ahead to 2014, he was chosen as the spokesperson for the US Department of State. He then retired from the military later that year. After retiring, he took on key roles like being the Spokesman of the US State Department and the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs from 2015 to 2017.

Following this, in 2017, John transitioned into a military and diplomatic analyst role at CNN, which he continued up until 2021. Biden administration appointed him as the Pentagon Press Secretary once again, this time in the Biden administration.

Social Media

John is not known to be on many social media platforms but has a well-updated LinkedIn profile for maintaining professional connections. He is also known to be on Twitter since 2017 and currently has 23.6k followers.

Rear Admiral John Kirby Biography
Real Name	John Francis Kirby
Birth Date	1963
Age (as of 2023)	60
Birth Place	St. Petersburg, Florida, United States
Nationality	American
Profession	Admiral
Religion	Christianity
Sun sign	Not Known
Physical Statistics
Height	in feet inches – 5’ 9” – in Centimeters – 175 cm
Weight	in Kilograms – 78 kg  –  in Pounds –  171 lbs
Shoe Size	10 (U.S.)
Hair Color	Brown
Eye Color	Dark Brown
Body Type	Slim
Family
Father	–
Mother	–
Sister	–
Brother	–
Qualification/Education
School	St Petersburg Catholic High
College	US Naval War College, University of South Florida
Relationship Status
Marital Status	Married
Wife	Donna Kirby
Children	Two

Personal Life

John is currently married to his wife Donna Kirby. The couple has not shared much about their married life but they are cherishing their marriage for more than 20 years. He also has a daughter Meghan McDowell who was Anorexic and suffered from depression for over 6 years.

He and his wife helped Meghan overcome the disorder and she is now healthy. Meghan married in 2012 and is also a mother. John is currently living in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and family.

Rear Admiral John Kirby Net Worth

John has been working as a naval officer as well as a politician for several years. He has held many important positions and has earned a lot of wealth. His net worth as of 2021 is estimated to be around $2million.

Trivia

• Kirby received the  Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, and Meritorious Service Medal for his work in the Navy.
• He was also awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement medal.
• Kirby stood against Tucker Carlson on his point that maternity wear and haircut regulations were impacting their readiness and effectiveness in the US military.
• John recently held a press briefing as the Pentagon press secretary to answer strategic and informatics questions regarding the US-Afghanistan situation and evacuation of US soldiers.
• John is a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan while his daughter was an Equestrian and athlete.