Tidal W. McCoy

Tidal W. McCoy
Official portrait, 1984
Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower & Reserve Affairs)
In office
1981–1988
PresidentRonald Reagan
Preceded byAntonia Handler Chayes
Succeeded byKaren R. Keesling
Personal details
Born (1945-04-25) April 25, 1945
Gainesville, Florida, U.S.
PartyRepublican
Alma materUnited States Military Academy (BS)
George Washington University (MS)
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Years of service
1967–1972
Unit2nd Battalion, 83rd Field Artillery Regiment
CommandsBattery B, 2nd Battalion, 83rd Field Artillery Regiment

Tidal W. "Ty" McCoy (born April 25, 1945) is an American venture capitalist and politician. He was Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower & Reserve Affairs) during the Reagan administration from 1981 to 1989.

Early life and education

McCoy was born in Gainesville, Florida, on April 25, 1945.[1] He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, receiving a B.S. in engineering in 1967 and an M.S. in Business Financial Management from George Washington University in 1975.[2]

Career

Military service

After graduating from West Point, McCoy was deployed to Germany as a battery commander of the 2nd Battalion, 83rd Field Artillery Regiment, serving as the battery commander for Battery B, a nuclear artillery battery.[3][2] He was then deployed to the Republic of Vietnam, where he held command and staff positions for a year before assignment to the Pentagon as the Chief of Intelligence on North Vietnam, providing intelligence reports to the U.S. Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.[4]

Public service

In 1972, McCoy was recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency, but was recalled by the Secretary of Defense for an assignment to the Immediate Office of the Secretary of Defense as part of the Long Range Planning and Net Assessment Group in the Office of the United States Secretary of Defense.[3] From 1973 to 1977, he was a staff assistant and later a deputy assistant to the Secretary of Defense. During that time, he also served at the National Security Council at the White House. In 1977, he was the Scientific Advisor to Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Engineering and Systems, David E. Mann. From 1979 to 1981, he was Assistant for National Security Affairs to Senator Jake Garn of Utah.[2][3]

In April 1981, President Ronald Reagan nominated McCoy to be Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower & Reserve Affairs);[2] McCoy was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on June 4, 1981,[3][5] and held that office throughout the Reagan Administration. For a period of time he was also Acting Under Secretary and Acting Secretary of the Air Force.[6]

Private sector

After leaving government service in 1989, McCoy worked for Thiokol as Senior Vice President for government relations.

In late 2017, McCoy co-founded the venture capital firm Iron Gate Capital Advisors, which he said focused on cyber warfare.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "From the Water to the Air: The Story of United States Assistant Secretary of the Air Force/Former United States Military Academy Water Polo Athlete Tidal McCoy". Collegiate Water Polo Association. 2021-06-18. Retrieved 2025-09-05.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Nomination of Tidal W. McCoy To Be an Assistant Secretary of the Air Force". The American Presidency Project. UC Santa Barbara. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 United States Senate. Committee on Armed Forces (1981-06-03). Hearing before the Committee on Armed Services United States Senate Ninety-Seventh Congress First Session on Nominations of William R. Gianelli, of California, to be Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) Tidal W. McCoy of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower, Reserve Affairs and Installations) Joes E. Bonner, Jr., of Virginia , to be an Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations, Logistics and Financial Management) Harry N. Walters, of New York, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs). Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office. OCLC 7655621.
  4. ↑ "The Hon. Tidal W. McCoy". Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
  5. ↑ "PN265 — Tidal W. McCoy — Department of Defense". Congress.gov. 4 June 1981. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  6. ↑ "From the Water to the Air: The Story of United States Assistant Secretary of the Air Force/Former United States Military Academy Water Polo Athlete Tidal McCoy". Collegiate Water Polo Association. 2021-06-18. Retrieved 2026-01-30.
  7. ↑ "IWP Trustee Tidal McCoy speaks about investing in national security innovation in the 21st century - The Institute of World Politics". Retrieved 2026-01-30.
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