Geurts leaving Navy acquisition role next week

Hondo Geurts, the Navy's acquisition executive, is leaving his job Jan. 20, coinciding with President-elect Biden's inauguration.

Capt. Danny Hernandez, a spokesman for Geurts, confirmed Geurts' departure, first reported by Breaking Defense.

Hernandez said the service is still working through its process before announcing who will be serving in the role in an acting capacity.

Geurts, speaking Friday at the Surface Navy Association Annual Symposium, said he is proud of his work over the past three years.

"I'm not by any means here to say we solved all of our problems, that we don't have issues, that we don’t have challenges," he said. "No, we have a boatload of them . . . but, I am here to say we have seen what happens when we work together."

He said he believed the Navy has fulfilled his goals of improving outcomes, pivot speed and affordability over the past three years.

Geurts is a retired Air Force colonel and was the acquisition executive for U.S. Special Operations Command when President Trump nominated him as assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition in 2017.