David “Turk” Turkovic
David Turkovic assumed the responsibilities of the Deputy Comptroller for Budget and Appropriations Affairs (BAA) in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Comptroller (OUSD(C)) on 9 June 2025. Mr. Turkovic serves as the senior advisor to the Secretary of Defense on matters related to Congress and Appropriations, and as the lead interface between Department senior leadership and the Congressional Appropriations Committees.
Previously, Mr. Turkovic served the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs as special assistant, where he was the primary liaison to Capitol Hill for offices within the Undersecretary for Acquisition & Sustainment (USD/A&S) and Undersecretary for Research & Engineering (USD/R&E). In that role, he spearheaded the Department of Defense’s legislative efforts on critical supply chain issues, including microelectronics, hypersonic weapons, and other advanced capabilities; he also supported a range of priorities on behalf of the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), the Defense Innovation Board (DIB), and the Defense Science Board (DSB).
Over the past decade, Mr. Turkovic held various positions in the private sector leading national security efforts, most recently as principal of national security at Lewis-Burke Associates LLC, where responsibilities include formulating strategies aligning with the Department of Defense and congressional appropriations committees. Additionally, Mr. Turkovic was director for industrial base policy at the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) where he was responsible for developing AIA’s national security agenda for the defense industrial base.
Mr. Turkovic is a native of Cleveland, Ohio and holds a bachelor’s degree in both political science and history from Cleveland State University. He is a recipient of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service and the Secretary of the Army Meritorious Public Service Medal.