A native of Orange County, California, Captain Kranz graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1997. He began his Navy career through the Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate Program and earned his commission as an Ensign at Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida. He completed his Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering at UC San Diego in 2008.
Captain Kranz graduated from Naval Nuclear Power School in Orlando, Florida and transferred to the Civil Engineer Corps in 1999. His first CEC assignment was at Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler in Okinawa, Japan as planning team lead for host-nation funded projects. In 2001 he reported to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) ONE in Gulfport, Mississippi, serving as Assistant Operations Officer, Air Detachment Officer-in-Charge, and Charlie Company Commander, deploying in support of peacetime missions and joint operations as part of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM (OEF) – Philippines. Afterwards, CAPT Kranz reported to I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) at Camp Pendleton, California in 2003 as the Naval Construction Force Liaison Officer, completing back-to-back deployments to central and western Iraq for Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF) with the MEF G-3 staff.
In 2005 he was assigned to Naval Base Coronado in San Diego, serving as both Assistant Resident Officer in Charge of Construction and Facilities Engineering and Acquisition Division director. He returned to the Seabees in 2008 as the Training Officer and OIC of Task Force Sierra for NMCB SEVEN in Gulfport, deploying in support of OEF and OIF. In 2010 Captain Kranz transferred to NAS Whiting Field in Milton, Florida as Public Works Officer for the Navy’s busiest air station. He reported to Commander Navy Installations Command (CNIC) and NAVFAC Headquarters at the Washington Navy Yard in 2013, serving as Asset Management Branch Head and the CNIC AM Liaison Officer. In 2016 he was assigned to Norfolk, Virginia as the Assistant Operations Officer and North Integrated Product Team (IPT) lead for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic, supporting Public Works Departments (PWDs) in seven northeastern states. He served as the Naval Station Norfolk Public Works Officer from June 2018 to May 2020, providing infrastructure support to the Navy’s most operationally complex waterfront and air installation. In May 2020 he reported to NAVFAC Europe Africa Central in Naples Italy as Executive Officer, leading eight PWDs in providing support to five Combatant Commanders and two numbered Fleets across three continents.
He assumed duties as Chief Staff Officer for Naval Base Ventura County, California in August 2022.
Captain Kranz is a Seabee Combat Warfare officer, Acquisition Professional Membership certified, and a registered Professional Engineer in the State of California. He has earned the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, four Meritorious Service Medals, three Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medals, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, and the Navy Achievement Medal, as well as various unit and campaign awards.
Last Updated: 28 September 2022