John Tien
Official portrait, 2021
8th United States Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
In office
June 24, 2021 – July 20, 2023
PresidentJoe Biden
SecretaryAlejandro Mayorkas
Preceded byDavid Pekoske (acting)
Succeeded byKristie Canegallo (acting)
Personal details
Born
John Kai Tien Jr.[1][2]

1963 (age 60–61)
New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
SpouseTracy L. Franklin
Children2
EducationUnited States Military Academy (BS)
The Queen's College, Oxford (MA)
AwardsRhodes Scholarship
White House Fellowship
Websitehttps://jktien.com/
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
Years of service1987–2011
Rank Colonel

John Kai Tien Jr. (born 1963) is an American government official and retired United States Army officer who served as the United States deputy secretary of homeland security in the Biden administration from 2021 to 2023.

Early life and education

Tien was born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1963,[3][4] the son of John K. Tien Sr. and Deborah Theresa Wong.[5][6] He is a first generation Chinese-American.[7] He was raised near Detroit and Los Angeles, and attended Grosse Pointe South High School before graduating from Cerritos High School in 1981.[8][9][10][11]

Tien began attendance at the United States Military Academy in 1981, but left and enrolled at the University of California, Irvine.[8] He later transferred back to West Point in 1983, from which he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering in 1987.[8][12] In his senior year, Tien served as First Captain, the highest-ranked West Point cadet, the first Asian-American to hold the position.[12]

Prior West Point First Captains include US Army Generals John J. Pershing, Douglas MacArthur, and William Westmoreland.

After graduating West Point and commissioning as an active duty Second Lieutenant, Tien attended the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom as a Rhodes Scholar, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from The Queen's College.[12] Per Oxford custom, his degree was promoted to a Master of Arts by seniority, seven years after Tien's matriculation.

From 2007 to 2008, Tien attended the Harvard Kennedy School as a National Security Fellow and authored a study on Smart Power with two other National Security Fellows.[4][13]

Career

Tien sworn in as the Deputy Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security in June 2021.

Tien graduated from West Point on May 27, 1987, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army,[14] where he served for 24 years as an armor officer, retiring with the rank of colonel. Tien's active duty Army career included three combat tours of duty in Iraq to include commanding Task Force 2-37 Armor Battalion in the Iraqi cities of Tal Afar and Ramadi.[13][15] During the Clinton administration, Tien served as a special assistant to the Deputy U.S. Trade Representative in the Office of the United States Trade Representative as a White House Fellow.[16] During the Obama administration, Tien was the United States National Security Council senior director for Afghanistan and Pakistan from 2009 to 2011.[17] Tien's other U.S. Army assignments included a two-year tour at the United States Military Academy as an assistant professor in the Department of Social Sciences where he taught American Politics from 1996 to 1998.[18][19]

From 2011 to 2021, Tien served in various roles at Citigroup to include being the chief operating officer for Citi Retail Services largest Mastercard and American Express co-branded card portfolios.[20] He also served as the national co-head of Citi Salutes which was Citigroup's firm-wide initiative that supported veterans and military families from 2016 to 2021.[21]

Tien was a managing director of the Citigroup regional services organization based in Atlanta.[22]

On April 12, 2021, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Tien to be the United States deputy secretary of homeland security under Alejandro Mayorkas.[12] On April 22, 2021, his nomination was sent to the Senate.[23] On June 17, 2021, Tien was confirmed in a full Senate vote by 60–34.[24] He was sworn in as Deputy Secretary on June 24, 2021.[13][25]

In September 2021, Tien represented the United States of America at the Group of Seven (G7) Interior and Security Minister's meeting where he was quoted as saying, "The United States is proud to stand with our G7 allies in our counterterrorism efforts and we look forward to continued cooperation to protect our nations from shared threats to our national security, as well as continued partnership to protect and support vulnerable Afghans."[26]

Tien retired on July 20, 2023 and was succeeded by Kristie Canegallo.[27]

Non-profit and other social sector work

From 2011 to 2021, Tien served on various U.S. military veterans boards and leadership councils to include being the Board Chair of The Mission Continues until 2019 when his term-limited term concluded.[28] Tien's other boards and councils included: (1) The Bob Woodruff Leadership Council; (2) The Howard and Sheri Schultz Family Foundation Advisory Board; (3) New Politics Leadership Council; (4) The Warrior Alliance Board; (5) Fourblock supporter and employer mentor; and (6) the VETLANTA board.[20][29][30][31] He also served as a volunteer leadership seminar instructor at Georgia Gwinnett College.[20][32] Tien remains a member of Leadership Atlanta, a civic leadership non-profit in Atlanta, Georgia.[33]

Awards and decorations

Tien's military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Valorous Unit Award, and the Combat Action Badge.[34][35] In 1995, Tien was one of twelve U.S. Army active-duty captains to win the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award.[36] In 2016, a room was dedicated to Tien at West Point's historic Thayer Hotel.[34][37]

Personal life

Prior to becoming DHS Deputy Secretary, Tien resided in Atlanta with his wife Tracy Tien and their two daughters.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "John Kai Tien Jr". West Point Association of Graduates. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  2. ↑ Register of Graduates and Former Cadets, United States Military Academy. West Point, New York: Association of Graduates U.S.M.A. 1989. p. 951.
  3. ↑ Child, Paul W. Jr., ed. (December 1986). "Bulletin Board: John Tien Is New Cadet First Captain". Assembly. West Point, NY: Association of Graduates, USMA. p. 54 – via Google Books.
  4. 1 2 Tien, John; Desgrosseilliers, Todd; Armfield, Gwyn (April 7, 2008). "Winning the Long War: Applying the US Government's Smart Power in Current and Future Conflicts". Scribd.com. Cambridge, MA: John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. p. 4. Colonel John K. Tien was born in New Haven, Connecticut in 1963.
  5. ↑ "John Kai Tien, Metallurgist, 52". The New York Times. New York, NY. April 4, 1992. p. 31.
  6. ↑ Vadukul, Alex (January 28, 2021). "Debbie Hennessy, Cal State Official Dubbed 'the Duchess,' Dies at 80". The New York Times.
  7. ↑ "John Tien". New Politics.
  8. 1 2 3 Shine, Neal (August 21, 1986). "A well-deserved salute to the unlikely soldier". Detroit Free Press. Detroit, MI. p. 16D – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ Allred, Katie (July 9, 2016). "The Thayer Hotel at West Point Honors Citi Managing Director John Tien" (PDF). Citi Retail Services.com. West Point, NY: The Thayer Hotel. p. 1.
  10. ↑ O’Shaughnessy, Lynn (December 8, 1986). "2 Californians Named Rhodes Scholars". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, CA.
  11. ↑ "Air Force cadet from Vietnam a Rhodes scholar". San Luis Obispo County Telegram-Tribune. San Luis Obispo, CA. Associated Press. December 8, 1986. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "President Biden Announces His Intent to Nominate Key Members for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security". The White House. April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  13. 1 2 3 "John K. Tien | Homeland Security".
  14. ↑ "Written Statement of John Tien, Nominee for Deputy Secretary U.S. Department of Homeland Security Before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. May 27, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  15. ↑ "John Tien". New Politics. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Biden Unveils Picks to Lead CBP and USCIS, Along with a No. 2 for DHS – Homeland Security Today". April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  17. ↑ "President Biden Nominates John ;Tien, Jen Easterly, Robert Silvers for DHS, CISA Roles". Executive Gov. April 13, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 7 - Tribute to John Tien". GovInfo. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  19. ↑ Tlen, CPT John K. (July 10, 1990). "eArmor Future Scout Vehicle: a Desert Storm Endorsement". MCoE Homepage. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  20. 1 2 3 "Speakers". Employing U.S. Vets Conference. June 2, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Veteran Voices Classic: Profiles in Veteran Leadership: John Tien & Kevin Horgan".
  22. ↑ "The Warrior Alliance | Citigroup – John Tien – Managing Director, Citigroup/ TWA Board Member". Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Nominations Sent to the Senate". The White House. April 22, 2021.
  24. ↑ "U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 117th Congress - 1st Session". www.senate.gov.
  25. ↑ "Here's a look at how area members of Congress voted". Port Clinton News Herald. June 22, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  26. ↑ "Readout of Deputy Secretary Tien's Trip to the United Kingdom". Homeland Security. September 12, 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  27. ↑ Barr, Luke. "Homeland Security deputy secretary retiring". abcnews.com. ABC News. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  28. ↑ "The Mission Continues Announces Upcoming Change of Command as It Embarks on Three-Year Strategic Plan".
  29. ↑ "Veteran Voices Classic: Profiles in Veteran Leadership: John Tien & Kevin Horgan".
  30. ↑ "The Warrior Alliance | Citigroup – John Tien – Managing Director, Citigroup/ TWA Board Member".
  31. ↑ "Alumni Spotlight: Jeff Chery, Citigroup". April 18, 2019.
  32. ↑ "Engage Fall 2017 by Georgia Gwinnett College - Issuu". December 7, 2017.
  33. ↑ Directory leadershipatlanta.org
  34. 1 2 The Thayer Hotel at West Point Honors Citi Managing Director John Tien, Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired), and First Asian-American Cadet First Captain in West Point’s history citiretailservices.com
  35. ↑ Speakers dhs.gov
  36. ↑ "Congressional Record | Congress.gov | Library of Congress". Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  37. ↑ "Tien".
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