The U.S. Department of War announced the appointment of Gavin Kliger as Chief Data Officer, a role central to advancing the Department’s AI initiatives.

In this role, Kliger will play a key part in executing the Department’s AI strategy, overseeing the alignment and day-to-day execution of AI initiatives. He will work closely with leading U.S. AI organizations to help ensure projects remain strategically focused, maintain secure access to critical data, and deliver impactful capabilities efficiently.

“We are in a global competition for military AI dominance, and America must build on its leadership to extend our advantage over adversaries,” said Kliger. “My mission is to integrate the unparalleled innovation of America’s private sector with the Department’s operational expertise to rapidly deliver advanced AI capabilities to our warfighters. By driving pace-setting projects with wartime urgency, we will ensure cutting-edge technology translates into decisive battlefield advantages for the United States.”

Kliger previously served on Secretary Hegseth’s Department of Government Efficiency team, where he helped oversee the launch of GenAI.mil, the Department’s enterprise AI platform. He also contributed to the Drone Dominance program, which focuses on rapidly deploying large volumes of U.S.-manufactured one-way attack drones. Prior to his government role, he was a senior member of technical staff at Databricks.