Vice Admiral David P. Pekoske
Commander, Pacific Area / Commander, Defense Force West
United States Coast Guard
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Vice Admiral David P. Pekoske assumed his duties as Commander, Coast Guard Pacific Area in May 2008. The Area of Operations for this command encompasses over 73 million square miles throughout the Pacific Basin to the Far East. Vice Admiral Pekoske oversees the operation of units performing missions in maritime safety, maritime mobility, protection of natural resources, maritime security, homeland security, and national defense.
Prior to this assignment, he served as the Assistant Commandant for Operations at Coast Guard Headquarter in Washington, D.C., where he had oversight of the Coast Guard’s Office of International Affairs, the Capabilities Directorate, the Plans and Policy Directorate and the Coast Guard Headquarters Command Center. Vice Admiral Pekoske was responsible for strategic-level planning, policy and resourcing for all of the Coast Guard’s operating programs. From 2004-2006, Vice Admiral Pekoske was Commander of the First Coast Guard District/Maritime Defense Command One. The First District, headquartered in Boston, MA provided regional command and control for all Coast Guard missions in the Northeast United States, from northern New Jersey to Maine.
Vice Admiral Pekoske was selected for Flag rank while serving as Executive Assistant to the Commandant, a position he held for three years, beginning in the summer of 2001. From 1999 to 2001, he commanded Coast Guard Group/Marine Safety Office (now Sector) Long Island Sound, based in New Haven, CT.
His 30-plus year career as included a variety of operational and staff assignments including command of three other Coast Guard units. He has served on the west, gulf and east coasts of the United States and on the Great Lakes. Vice Admiral Pekoske’s operational expertise is in the operations ashore community. His staff expertise is in strategic planning, program analysis and budget development.
Commissioned in 1977, Vice Admiral Pekoske has a Bachelor of Science Degreee in Ocean Engineering from the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT. He is a 1989 graduate of the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University with a Masters Degree in Public Administration. Vice Admiral Pekoske graduated from the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a Master of Business Administration Degree in 1997. He served as a member of the United States Coast Guard Academy Board of Trustees from 2006-2008.
His personal decorations inclue the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit (2), the Meritorious Service Medal (5), the Coast Guard Commendation Medal (2), the Coast Guard Achievement Medal (4) and the Commandant's Letter of Commendation.