Rear
Admiral Joseph R. Castillo
Commander, District
Eleven
U.S. Coast Guard
Rear
Admiral Zukunft reported for his current duty as Commander, Eleventh Coast
Guard District after serving as Director, Joint Interagency Task Force
West. In that capacity, he served as U.S. Pacific Command’s executive agent
for strategic planning and tactical execution of counter drug related
activities throughout 41 countries and across more than 105 million square
miles.
His staff assignments include Chief of Staff, Fourteenth Coast Guard District, Chief of Operations, Coast Guard Pacific Area, Chief of Operations, and Chief of Operations Oversight, Coast Guard Atlantic Area. In these capacities, Rear Admiral Zukunft directly supervised the operations of the Atlantic and Pacific major cutter fleets while executing the Coast Guard's STEEL WEB counter drug strategy culminating in the seizure of more than 240 tons of cocaine.
Rear Admiral Zukunft has served extensively in the cutter fleet and commanded three cutters while patrolling throughout the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. He commanded the USCGC CAPE UPRIGHT where he confiscated over 40 tons of marijuana and rescued more than 1000 Cuban migrants in the Straits of Florida during the Mariel boatlift; USCGC HARRIET LANE where he interdicted more than 3000 Haitian, Cuban, Dominican Republic and Chinese migrants and 3 tons of marijuana; and USCGC RUSH where he deployed to China, the Bering Sea, and the Eastern Pacific to forge international search and rescue agreements, protect living marine resources in the Bering Sea and confiscate over 5 tons of cocaine while interdicting a mother ship off the coast of Central America.
Rear Admiral Zukunft’s shore assignments include Operations Officer, Vessel Traffic Service New Orleans; Chief of Port Operations, Marine Safety Office Corpus Christi where he supervised a $100M Superfund clean-up; and Commanding Officer of the Training Quota Management Center where he supervised the execution of advanced training programs for all officer and enlisted personnel.
Rear Admiral Zukunft graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Government; from Webster University in 1988 with a Master of Arts degree in Management; and from the United States Naval War College in 1997 with a Master of Arts degree in Strategic Studies and International Affairs.
Rear Admiral Zukunft is a native of North Branford, Connecticut. He wears the permanent Coast Guard Cutterman pin and his personal awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal with “O” device (five awards), Coast Guard Commendation Medal (two awards) and Coast Guard Achievement medal with “O” device (two awards).