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Commander Courtney P. Taft

Cmdr. Taft is a native of Dayton, Ohio.  She graduated in 1999 from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and received her commission as an ensign through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program.  She completed her Joint Professional Military Education training at the Naval War College while earning her Master of Management and Human Resource from Salve Regina University in 2007.
 
Taft’s sea duty assignments include electronics maintenance officer and later, combat information center officer, USS Mount Vernon (LSD 39); training officer, USS Milius (DDG 69); operations officer, USS Halsey (DDG 97) and USS Princeton (CG 57); and most recently, executive officer and then commanding officer, Assault Craft Unit (ACU) 1.  She was awarded the 2010 Junior Officer Award for Excellence while aboard USS Princeton,  has completed multiple deployments to U.S. 5th and U.S. 7th Fleets, and supported the 2004 tsunami relief efforts in Southeast Asia while deployed with USS Milius. 
 
Taft’s initial shore tour was at Surface Warfare Officer School (now Surface Warfare Schools Command), Newport, Rhode Island where she served as a navigation / seamanship instructor and course lead for the Conning Officer Virtual Environment simulator.  Following her department head tours, she was the deputy executive assistant to commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet, and later transitioned to fleet training, serving as the fleet’s amphibious exercise and plans officer and schedule of events coordinator for Rim of the Pacific Exercise 2014.  In 2014, Taft reported to AEGIS Training and Readiness Center, Dahlgren, Virginia, where she served as safety officer and team lead for the Ready, Relevant Learning and Sailor 2025 initiatives.  She reported as executive officer, Surface Combat Systems Training Command (SCSTC), Dahlgren, Virginia, in February 2021.
 
Taft’s personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (four awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (two awards), and various service and campaign awards.
 

Last Updated: 28 October 2021

 
 
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