Rear Adm. John Korka was born in Rota, Spain, and is the son of a master chief petty officer. He received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Old Dominion University in 1986 and commissioned an ensign through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps program. He holds a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Pennsylvania State University, a Master of Science in National Strategy Resources from the National Defense University Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and is a graduate of the Executive Advance Management Program at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.

Korka’s operational tours include electrical officer, USS Sylvania (AFS-2); company commander/officer-in-charge Detail Souda Bay, U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133; operations officer, NMCB-1 and commanding officer, NMCB-4. He also served as the commodore of the 31st Seabee Readiness Group, the Pacific Fleet Seabees.

His shore assignments include assistant resident officer in charge of construction, Norfolk Naval Shipyard; Facilities Engineering department head, Public Works Center, Guam; Military Construction and Energy program officer, Office of Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Fleet Readiness and Logistics); executive assistant to the commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Headquarters and chief of civil engineers; executive officer, NAVFAC Europe and Southwest Asia; and director, Maritime Headquarters, NECC/NECCPAC. He commanded Officer in Charge of Construction, Bethesda; Naval Facilities Engineering Logistics Center, Port Hueneme and NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic.

Korka is a registered professional engineer in the state of Virginia, a member of the Defense Acquisition Corps and qualified as a Seabee Combat Warfare and surface warfare officer.