Career
Cross graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1970 with a B.S. degree in Engineering. He also earned a master's degree in Industrial Administration from Purdue University's Krannert School of Management and is a graduate of the National War College.
Some of his early operational assignments include service as a Deck Watch Officer aboard the cutter USCGC McCulloch, Operations Officer of Air Station Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Commanding Officer of Air Station San Francisco, California. Staff assignments included service as the Chief of Staff, Atlantic Area; Chief, Office of Programs; Chief, Office of Budget; and Chief, Office of Acquisition Resource Management at Coast Guard Headquarters.
He served as Commander, Pacific Area. VADM Cross was responsible for all Coast Guard operations west of the Rocky Mountains and throughout the Pacific Basin to the Far East, an area encompassing over 73 million square miles. Under his leadership, Pacific Area units established the first Coast Guard maritime intelligence fusion center, participated in the Iraq War and Operation Liberty Shield, and set new records for illegal drug seizures.
VADM Cross served as the Assistant Commandant for Operations, where he was responsible for management oversight of all Coast Guard operating programs, including maritime safety, law enforcement, intelligence, and national defense. He initiated the Coast Guard's Maritime Domain Awareness initiative, succeeded in gaining formal membership in the Intelligence Community for the Coast Guard and led efforts that rapidly supported the Coast Guard's Homeland Security Strategy, including the development of deployable Maritime Safety and Security Teams. Cross's other flag assignments included service as Commander, Eleventh Coast Guard District; Commander, Seventeenth Coast Guard District and Director of Operations Policy at Coast Guard Headquarters.
Thomas Hansen Collins is a former United States Coast Guard admiral who served as the 22nd Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard from May 2002 to May 2006.
John William Kime was a United States Coast Guard admiral who served as the 19th Commandant of the Coast Guard from 31 May 1990 to 1 June 1994.
Thad William Allen is a former United States Coast Guard admiral who served as the 23rd Commandant of the Coast Guard. Allen is best known for his widely praised performance directing the federal response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the Gulf Coast region from September 2005 to January 2006, and for his role as National Incident Commander of the Unified Command for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Robert J. Papp, Jr. succeeded him as Commandant on 25 May 2010, in a change of command ceremony.
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Vivien S. Crea was the 25th Vice Commandant of the United States Coast Guard under Admiral Thad W. Allen. Crea held the second highest position in the Coast Guard, and she is the first woman to do so. She is the former Commander of the Coast Guard Atlantic Area, and was confirmed by the Senate to her historic post in June 2006. Crea retired on August 7, 2009, and was replaced by VADM David Pekoske.
Harvey Elwood Johnson Jr., retired Vice Admiral, United States Coast Guard, is the President of Humanitarian Services for the American Red Cross. Previously, Johnson was the former Vice President for National Preparedness and Response Solutions at BAE Systems and Deputy Administrator and Chief Operating Officer of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Coast Guard Intelligence (CGI) is the military intelligence branch of the United States Coast Guard, and a component of the Central Security Service of the United States Department of Defense.
The Coast Guard Judge Advocate General oversees the delivery of legal services to the United States Coast Guard, through the Office of the Judge Advocate General in Washington, the Legal Service Command, offices in the Atlantic and Pacific Areas, nine Coast Guard Districts, the Coast Guard Academy, three training centers, and a number of other activities and commands. Legal services are delivered by Coast Guard judge advocates and civilian counsel in ten legal practice areas: criminal law/military justice, operations, international activities, civil advocacy, environmental law, procurement law, internal organizational law, regulations and administrative law, legislative support and legal assistance.
This article covers the organization of the United States Coast Guard.
Charles D. Wurster is a retired vice admiral in the United States Coast Guard who last served as the Commander, Pacific Area and Commander, Defense Force West. He is now retired from the Coast Guard, is the President/CEO of the Port of San Diego, and serves as national commodore of the Sea Scouting division of the BSA.
Jody A. Breckenridge is a former commander of the U.S. Coast Guard's Pacific Area.
Ronald James Rábago is a retired United States Coast Guard rear admiral who in 2006 became the first person of Hispanic American descent to be promoted to flag rank in the United States Coast Guard. He retired as the assistant commandant for engineering and logistics and the United States Coast Guard's chief engineer in 2014.
David Peter Pekoske is an American government official and retired U.S. Coast Guard vice admiral who has served as the seventh administrator of the Transportation Security Administration in the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) since 2017. He served as the acting deputy secretary of Homeland Security from April to November 2019 and again from January to June 2021. From January 20, 2021 to February 2, 2021 he served as acting secretary of homeland security, during the Senate confirmation of Alejandro Mayorkas. Pekoske retired with 33 years of active military service in 2010 as the 26th vice commandant of the Coast Guard.
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Manson K. Brown is an American retired U.S. Coast Guard Vice Admiral (VADM) and public official. His top military decoration is the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal. In 1994, he became the first recipient of the Coast Guard Captain John G. Witherspoon Award for Inspirational Leadership. In 2012, he was honored with the Golden Torch Award by the National Society for Black Engineers. In 2014, he was honored by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People with the Meritorious Service Award, an honor annually bestowed to a service member in a policy-making position for the highest achievement in military equal opportunity. Off duty, he is an active road cyclist.
Rear Admiral (ret.) Craig E. Bone is a former government executive under President George W. Bush, playing a key role in the forwarding of maritime domain awareness works, inter alia the container security initiative and implementation of the Maritime Transportation Security Act, as part of the wider Global Maritime Intelligence Integration Plan of this administration.
Vice Admiral Robert Charles Parker is a retired officer of the United States Coast Guard.
Charles David Michel is a former United States Coast Guard Admiral who last served as the 30th Vice Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. He is the first Vice Commandant to hold the rank of Admiral while in office. Originally a Vice Admiral when he assumed office on August 6, 2015, Michel was promoted to Admiral on May 24, 2016 when the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015 elevated the statutory rank for the position to admiral. Michel is also the first career judge advocate in any of the Armed Forces to achieve four-star rank. Michel retired from the Coast Guard on May 24, 2018 after over 33 years of service.
Karl Leo Schultz is an American United States Coast Guard admiral serving as the 26th Commandant of the Coast Guard.
Charles W. Ray is a retired United States Coast Guard admiral who served as the vice commandant of the Coast Guard from May 24, 2018 to June 18, 2021. He previously served as the Coast Guard's deputy commandant for operations.
