Rear Admiral J. David Spade

Prior to his joint assignments as a flag officer, he was Deputy Chief of Staff, Headquarters, U.S. Coast Guard, from July 1993 to October 1993. Previously, he served for two years as Chief, Operations Division, Seventh Coast Guard District, Miami, Florida, where he was responsible for counter-drug, migrant interdiction, search and rescue and intelligence operations. During that assignment, he helped coordinate the rescue of thousands of Haitian migrants and Cuban refugees.

Rear Admiral Spade is a graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF) at the National Defense University and taught on the ICAF faculty for two years. Following that assignment, he served as Chief, Budget Division, Coast Guard Headquarters. He also had prior Headquarters assignments as Chief, Operational Intelligence Branch, Intelligence Staff, and as a program reviewer in the Programs Division.

Rear Admiral Spade served aboard six U.S. Coast Guard cutters and commanded three of them: CGC COURAGEOUS, CGC DILIGENCE, and CGC CAPE SABLE.

Born in Austin, Texas, and raised in Martinez, California, Rear Admiral Spade entered the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1961 and graduated with honors in 1965 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. He earned his Masters degree in Management from the U. S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, in 1971. He then taught management and economics at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy from 1971 until 1976, when he returned to sea duty as Executive Officer of CGC BIBB.

Among his decorations, Rear Admiral Spade has received the Defense Superior Service Medal, two Legions of Merit, three Coast Guard Commendation Medals, the Coast Guard Achievement Medal, and the Humanitarian Service Medal.

Rear Admiral Spade and his wife, Linda, have two children: Mike, a graduate of the University of Florida and currently a Detective with the Polk County Florida Sheriff; and Kristy, a senior (in Public Relations) at the University of Florida.