Mr. Anthony J. Tata was sworn in as the Under Secretary of War for Personnel and Readiness on July 18, 2025. As the Under Secretary, Mr. Tata serves as the principal staff assistant and advisor to the Secretary of War for force readiness; force management; health affairs; National Guard and Reserve component affairs; education and training; and military and civilian personnel requirements and management, including quality of life matters.

Mr. Tata is a 1981 West Point graduate who completed graduate studies in international relations from The Catholic University of America and the School of Advanced Military Studies. He also served as a National Security Fellow at Harvard University’s JFK School of Government.

He served for 28 years in the United States Army, commanding a paratrooper battalion in the 82nd Airborne Division and an air assault brigade in the 101st Airborne Division. He served as the Deputy Commanding General of the 10th Mountain Division and Joint Task Force 76 in Afghanistan from 2006-2007. He also served as the deputy director of Joint Concept Development and Experimentation as well as the Joint IED Defeat Organization.

Mr. Tata’s operational deployments and missions include Operation Uphold Democracy to support Haitian stability, Operation Joint Endeavor in Bosnia and Croatia, Operation Jungle Warrior in Panama, Operation Joint Guardian in Kosovo, and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

Upon transitioning from the military, Mr. Tata served as the Chief Operating Officer of Washington, DC Public Schools, Superintendent of Wake County (Raleigh, NC) Public School System, and Secretary of Transportation of North Carolina. He also performed the duties of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy from November 10, 2020, to January 15, 2021. Prior to assuming this position, he was performing the duties of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.

His business background includes presidency of a defense start-up company and leadership of companies in the airborne collection, infrastructure, and oil and gas industries.

He is the recipient of the Army Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Combat Action Badge, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal, and Ranger Tab.

Colonel Robert Kline is the Chief, Strategy Division and Chief, Strategic Logistics Requirements and Integration, Strategic 
Plans, Policy, Logistics, and Warfighting Development, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. In this role he coordinates the staff responsible for developing and maintaining the command strategy, campaign plans and assessments. He also serves as the command lead for developing and implementing roles, responsibilities, relationships, and authorities and driving requirements to fielded capabilities for mitigating global vulnerabilities and 
risks associated with contested logistics for the Department of War, and planning and operations of the Joint Deployment 
and Distribution Enterprise.

Prior to this current position, Colonel Kline served as the Deputy Commander, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, Ali Al Salem Air Base Kuwait, including three months as the Commander, providing joint and coalition air mobility, precision strike, electronic attack, air defense, logistics operations, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities in support of operations throughout Southwest Asia. He has also served as Director of Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection for the Air Force District of Washington, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland and Commander, 921st Contingency Response Squadron, Travis Air Force Base, California. 

Colonel Kline was commissioned from the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps in 2002. He has a Bachelors degree in Political Science and Communications from the University of Pittsburgh, a Masters of Business Administration degree from TUI University, a Masters of Military  Operational Art and Science from Air University, and a Masters of Science degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College, National Defense University. He is a Command Pilot with more than 3,000 hours in the C-130J, KC-135R/T, C-130H, T-1, and T-37 aircraft. He has deployed in support of operations ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, NEW DAWN, ODESSEY DAWN, and UNIFIED PROTECTOR, INHERENT RESOLVE. 

Ms. Erica H. Plath, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Logistics and serves as the principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary of War for Sustainment. In this position, she is responsible for the Department’s logistics strategy and policy, supply, storage and distribution, property and equipment, transportation, and program support.

Prior to this assignment, Ms. Plath served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Sustainment. She was the principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition on all matters related to the planning, budgeting and execution of sustainment and supply chain activities of the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps.

Ms. Plath was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in August 2018. In her first executive role, she served as the Director, Strategic Mobility and Combat Logistics Division (OPNAV N42) in the office of the Chief of Naval Operations from August 2018 to November 2021. In this capacity, she supported the development, integration and resourcing of a roughly $3 billion annual portfolio for Navy’s combat logistics, maritime prepositioning, and strategic sealift ships. She began federal civilian service in 2011 at Naval Sea Systems Command within the Surface Warfare Directorate.

Ms. Plath graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering and was commissioned as an Ensign, United States Navy in May 2001. Following commissioning, she served as a Surface Warfare Officer in USS PORTER (DDG 78), USS COWPENS (CG 63) and the Navy Operations Center at the Pentagon. Ms. Plath left active duty as a Lieutenant in December 2007.

Ms. Plath's awards include the Navy’s Distinguished Civilian Service Award, Navy Commendation Medal (two awards), Navy Achievement Medal (two awards), Meritorious Unit Commendation, and Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service medals.

Major General Christopher D. Schneider 
serves as the Portfolio Acquisition Executive Agile Sustainment & Ammunition (PAE AS&A) and Commanding General of Picatinny Arsenal since June 2026.

Major General Schneider received his commission as an Infantry Officer from the United States Military Academy in 1994. His tactical assignments include: Rifle and Reconnaissance Platoon Leader, Headquarters and Headquarters Company Executive Officer, and Battalion Assistant S-3, 1st Infantry Division; Assistant G-3 Training Officer for XVIII Airborne Corps; Airborne Rifle Company 
Commander and an Airborne Headquarters and Headquarters Company Commander in 3-325 
A.I.R, 82d Airborne Division; and Ranger Assistant Operations Officer, 75th Ranger Regiment. He has multiple operational/combat deployments to
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

In 2005, Major General Schneider entered the Acquisition Corp and served in numerous assignments to include: (LTC/COL) Assignment Officer in the Human Resources Command, Alexandria, Virginia; Product Manager for Soldier 
Maneuver Sensors in PEO Soldier; Branch Chief for the Acquisition Branch in the Human Resources Command; Military Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition; Project Manager for Soldier Sensors and Lasers and as the Assistant Program Executive Officer 
(APEO) for Futures and Integration in PEO Soldier. Project Manager for the Integrated Visual Augmentation System, a Rapid Prototyping initiative in PEO Solider. He recently served as the 
Deputy for Acquisition and Systems Management, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology).

Major General Schneider’s military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Ranger School, Air Assault School, Bradley Leader Course, Scout Platoon Leader Course, Jumpmaster 
Course, Armor Officer Advanced Course, Combined Arms and Services Staff School, the Army Acquisition Basic Course, U.S. Army Command & General Staff College, and the National 
Defense University. Major General Schneider has received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the United States Military Academy, a M.B.A. from Liberty University, and a M.S. in 
National Resourcing and Strategy from the Eisenhower School.

His awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Joint Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Afghanistan Service Medal, Iraq Service Medal, Valorous Unit and Superior Unit Award, Senior Parachutist Badge, German Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab, Air Assault Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, and Combat Infantryman Badge.

Major General Schneider is a native of Louisville, Kentucky, and is married to COL (Ret.) Maria Schneider, an Army Acquisition Officer and native of Miami, Florida. They have three children: Michelle, Jacob, and Luke.