Born in Fort Belvoir, Va., Lt. Cmdr. Tanya W. McKnight graduated from California Polytechnic State University in 2007 with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in General and Biomedical Engineering. She received her commission as a U.S. Naval Officer through Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I. in 2008.
During afloat assignments, McKnight served as Communications Officer and Main Propulsion Division Officer aboard USS Laboon (DDG 58) where she qualified as a Surface Warfare Officer. She then served as Damage Control Assistant aboard USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109).
After transferring into the Engineering Duty Officer (EDO) community, she reported to Southwest Regional Maintenance Center (SWRMC) in San Diego, Calif. to complete her EDO qualification tour. At SWRMC, she served as Project Officer for USS Howard (DDG 83), USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) and USS Princeton (CG 59) CNO availabilities and C200 Engineering Branch Head for project support engineers.
Lt. Cmdr. McKnight then reported to Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif. and earned a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2018.
After graduation, she served as Cruiser Type Desk Officer for Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet in San Diego, Calif. where she managed the readiness, continuous and emergent maintenance of Pacific Fleet cruisers homeported in California, Hawaii, and Japan.
In 2021, Lt. Cmdr. McKnight reported to EDO School in Port Hueneme, Calif. As Course Director, she provided instruction in the acquisition, life cycle engineering and sustainment of naval ships, weapons, combat, command and control, and information systems.
McKnight assumed the roles and responsibilities as Executive Officer, Forward Deployed Regional Maintenance Center and Operations Officer in June 2023, headquartered in Naples, Italy with detachments in Rota, Spain and Manama, Bahrain. FDRMC provides emergent, intermediate and depot-level maintenance and modernization for transient and Forward Deployed Naval Forces in U.S. Fifth and Sixth Fleets through fleet technical assistance, voyage repair, contract management oversight, assessments, and diving and salvage.
McKnight’s personal decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal (2 awards), the Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal (3 awards), and various other unit and campaign awards.