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Director
Navy Warfare Development Center

MR. MICHAEL R. DURKIN     

Mr. Michael R. DurkinMr. Durkin is the Director of the Navy Warfare Development Center (NWDC). NWDC develops operational level of war concepts, experimentation, war games, and doctrine to improve United States Navy warfighting readiness. Navy Warfare Development Command was renamed Navy Warfare Development Center on 01 Oct 2022, and at that time, Mr. Durkin became NWDC’s first Director.

He entered the senior executive service in 2016 as the Deputy Director, Maritime Operations at United States Fleet Forces Command (USFFC), serving as the principal civilian advisor on fleet operations, policy, training, and global force management. From 2020 to 2022, Mr. Durkin served as the executive director of the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command and Navy Expeditionary Combat Command Pacific, responsible for all aspects of the man, train, and equip functions for the Navy’s 20,000-plus expeditionary Sailors. He entered government service as Director, Navy Global Force Management (GFM) at USFFC in 2008.

Mr. Durkin served for 28 years on active duty as a Navy surface warfare officer in a variety of assignments, retiring as a Captain. His sea duty assignments include USS Nimitz (CVN 68) as Reactor Controls Officer; USS Josephus Daniels (CG 27) as Combat Information Center Officer; USS Ainsworth (FF 1090) as Operations Officer; commissioning crew of USS George Washington (CVN 73) as Main Propulsion Assistant; USS David R. Ray (DD 971) as Executive Officer; and USS Hayler (DD 997) as Commanding Officer.

Ashore, he served as an instructor at the Naval Reserve Officer Training Unit, University of Pennsylvania; in the Joint Staff Directorate of Plans and Policy (J-5); as the China/Taiwan/Hong Kong Politico-Military Affairs Officer; and as Chief of Staff, Atlantic Theater Antisubmarine Warfare Task Force 84. While on the Joint Staff, he participated in negotiations with the People's Republic of China (PRC), concluding the Military Maritime Consultation Agreement, the first military-to-military agreement with the PRC. His final duty station was USFFC, where he stood up the Navy GFM Division and served as the Deputy Director, GFM and Joint Operations.

Mr. Durkin earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Engineering and received his Navy commission from the United States Naval Academy. He holds a Master of Science degree in Engineering Management from Drexel University and is a graduate of the United States Air Force Air War College and the Armed Forces Staff College. He is a recipient of the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service, Superior Civilian Service, and Meritorious Civilian Service medals, as well as several active duty personal and campaign awards.
 
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