Paul Zukunft | |
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| 25thCommandant of the Coast Guard | |
| In office 30 May 2014 – 1 June 2018 | |
| President | Barack Obama Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Peter V. Neffenger Charles D. Michel Charles W. Ray |
| Preceded by | Robert J. Papp Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Karl L. Schultz |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1955-01-30)30 January 1955 (age 70) New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Alma mater | U.S. Coast Guard Academy Webster University Naval War College |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Coast Guard |
| Years of service | 1977–2018 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands | Commandant of the Coast Guard Coast Guard Pacific Area Eleventh Coast Guard District Joint Interagency Task Force West USCGC Rush USCGC Harriet Lane USCGC Cape Upright |
| Battles/wars | Global War on Terrorism |
| Awards | Cutterman Insignia Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal (2) Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit Meritorious Service Medal Coast Guard Commendation Medal Coast Guard Achievement Medal |
Paul Frederick Zukunft (born 30 January 1955) is a retiredadmiral of theUnited States Coast Guard who served as the 25thcommandant. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the commandant, with the rank of admiral, in May 2014 and relievedRobert J. Papp Jr. as commandant on 30 May 2014.[1] Prior to his selection as commandant, he served as commander, Coast Guard Pacific Area.[2] In this position, Zukunft was the operational commander for all U.S. Coast Guard missions within the half of the world that ranges from the Rocky Mountains to the waters off the East Coast of Africa. He concurrently served as commander, Defense Force West and provided U.S. Coast Guard mission support to the U.S. Department of Defense and combatant commanders.
Previous flag assignments include the assistant commandant for marine safety, security and stewardship; director of response policy, assistant commandant for capability; commander, Eleventh Coast Guard District; and director, Joint Interagency Task Force West; Federal OnsceneDeepwater Horizon Unified Command, and the commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area.
Zukunft wears the permanentCutterman Insignia and is a certified NIMS ICS Type I incident commander. His personal awards include the Department of Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal, Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, three Legion of Merit, and five Meritorious Service Medals with"O" device among others.[3]
Zukunft was born on 30 January 1955 in New Haven[4] and is a native ofNorth Branford, Connecticut. He graduated from theUnited States Coast Guard Academy in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science degree in government. He attendedWebster University in 1988, where he received his Master of Arts degree in management, and theU.S. Naval War College in 1997 graduating with a Master of Arts degree in national security and strategic studies. He is a graduate of the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies Executive Seminar and Harvard's Kennedy School of Government National Preparedness Leadership Initiative course.[3]
Zukunft was promoted to flag rank in 2006. His six previous flag assignments also include the assistant commandant for marine safety, security and stewardship; director of response policy, assistant commandant for capability; commander, Eleventh Coast Guard District[5] and director,Joint Interagency Task Force West. Additionally, Zukunft served as the federal on-scene coordinator for theDeepwater Horizon Spill of National Significance in 2010, and directed more than 47,000 responders, 6,500 vessels and 120 aircraft during one of the largest oil spills in U.S. history.[6]
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Zukunft has served at sea, commandingUSCGC Rush,USCGC Harriet Lane, andUSCGC Cape Upright. Zukunft's senior staff assignments include chief of operations, Coast Guard Pacific Area, and chief of operations oversight, Coast Guard Atlantic Area, where he directly supervised all major cutter operations in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. He also served as the chief of staff of the Fourteenth Coast Guard District in Honolulu.[7]
On 28 February 2014,United States Secretary of Homeland SecurityJeh Johnson announced that U.S. PresidentBarack Obama intended to nominate Zukunft for the position ofCommandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, succeeding AdmiralRobert J. Papp Jr.[8] He was confirmed by the Senate on 15 May 2014, andfrocked to full admiral the same day. He assumed the office of commandant on 30 May 2014.
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| Preceded by | Commandant of the Coast Guard 2014–2018 | Succeeded by |
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