Background
Tidd was born on March 26, 1956. He is the son of now-retired Navy Vice Admiral Emmett H. Tidd and is a second-generation surface warfare officer
Tidd was born on March 26, 1956. He is the son of now-retired Navy Vice Admiral Emmett H. Tidd and is a second-generation surface warfare officer
Tidd was commissioned from the United States Naval Academy in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Area Studies.
He is currently serving as the Commander, United States Southern Command. Prior to the current assignment, Admiral Tidd served as Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He also served as the Director for Operations, Joint Staff (J-3) from 2012 to 2013, and as Commander, United States. Naval Forces Southern Command / United States. 4th Fleet from August 5, 2011 to June 22, 2012.
Confirmed by the Senate on December 16, 2015, Tidd received his fourth star and succeeded John F. Kelly as commander of United States Southern Command on January 14, 2016.
Tidd also holds the title of "Old Salt", which means he is, of all Surface Warfare qualified Navy Officers, the one who earned this badge the longest ago. He grew up in various cities on the East and West coasts before graduating in 1974 from the Porter-Gaud School in Charleston, South Carolina.
Tidd was appointed Director of Strategic Capabilities Policy, Defense Policy Directorate in July 2006. He joined the National Security Council staff in March 2005 as Director for Strategy and Defense Issues, Directorate of Combating Terrorism.
His responsibilities included developing and coordinating inter-agency policy on countering weapons of mass destruction terrorism, threats to international aviation security, and maritime security policy.
From January 2004 to March 2005, Tidd commanded Persian Gulf maritime War on Terror operations as Commander, Middle East Force and Commander Task Force 55. Tidd was the founding Deputy for Operations on the Chief of Naval Operations War on Terrorism Operations Planning Group Deep Blue. He served in North Atlantic Treaty Organization Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium as aide to the United States. Representative, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Military Committee.
In The Pentagon, he worked on the Navy Staff in the Strategy and Policy Division (North-51), and as the Political-Military Analyst in the Secretary of the Navy" General’ s Office of Program Appraisal.
Tidd also was the Strategic Planner on the Chief of Naval Operations" Executive Panel (North-00K). Sea duty assignments include Communications Officer and Main Propulsion Assistant in United States Ship Semmes (DDG-18), Boilers Officer in United States Ship America (CV-66), Flag Lieutenant to Commander, Cruiser-Destroyer Group Eight, and Operations Officer in United States Ship Deyo (Doctor of Divinity-989).
Tidd was executive officer in United States Ship Leftwich (Doctor of Divinity-984), commanding officer, United States Ship Arthur West. Radford (Doctor of Divinity-968), and Commander, Destroyer Squadron 50. Tidd holds a master"s degree in political science from the University of Bordeaux, France, earned as an Olmsted Foundation Scholar.
He is a graduate of the Armed Forces Staff College, and was a Federal Executive Fellow at the Atlantic Council of the United States.
He is a French linguist and a subspecialist in Strategic Planning and Europe/Russia area studies. Tidd"s brother, Mark L. Tidd, retired as Chief of Navy Chaplains with the rank of Rear Admiral in 2014.
