US President Joe Biden on Friday confirmed that Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby had been appointed in a new role at the White House, where he will serve as a Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council.

“John Kirby is uniquely qualified for this position, and I look forward to bringing his background, knowledge, and experience to the White House,” Biden said.

“From his work as the Assistant Secretary and Spokesperson at the State Department to his work at the Pentagon, most recently as Assistant to the Secretary for Public Affairs and Press Secretary, John understands the complexities of U.S. foreign and defense policy, and he will ably represent the Administration on important national security issues,” the US President added, highlighting Kirby’s suitability.

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For his part, Kirby thanked the President and his former boss, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, saying, “I am incredibly honored to be given this opportunity to continue serving my country and this Administration. I am very grateful to President Biden for his confidence in me and to Secretary Austin for his tremendous support and leadership these last 18 months.”

Kirby’s new role will see him “coordinate interagency efforts to explain United States policy and will serve as a senior administration voice on related matters,” the White House said.

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A retired admiral, Kirby became one of the faces of the US’ response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine after President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops into the eastern European country on February 24.

With two post-graduate degrees in International Relations and National Security and Strategic Studies from the Troy State University and the Naval War College, respectively, Kirby served in the US Navy from 1986 before retiring in 2015 as an admiral.

He came into prominence in the field of public administration during his time with the Barack Obama administration, when he served as the State Department’s spokesperson.