Coast Guard Pacific Area

Coast Guard Pacific Area & Defense Forces West
Country	United States
Type
Headquarters	Coast Guard Island, Alameda, California
Nickname(s)	PACAREA
Commanders
Area Commander	Vice Admiral Michael F. McAllister, USCG
Deputy Commander	Rear Admiral , USCG
Notable commanders	Admiral Paul F. Zukunft, 25th Commandant of the Coast Guard

Coast Guard Pacific Area & Defense Forces West (PACAREA)^[1] is an of the United States Coast Guard, a regional command element and force provider tasked with maritime safety, security, and stewardship throughout the Pacific. The command's area of responsibility encompasses six of the seven continents, 71 countries, and more than 74 million square miles of ocean—from the U.S. Western States to the waters off the east coast of Africa, and from the Arctic to Antarctica. Pacific Area has primary responsibilities for all Coast Guard operations throughout this area of responsibility.

Organizational structure[]

Commander, U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area is concurrently Commander of Defense Forces West, and is located at Coast Guard Island in Alameda, California.

Pacific Area is divided into four operational regions called , each overseen by a two-star Rear Admiral. The is co-located with Pacific Area and oversees all Coast Guard operations from the California/Oregon border, south to Guatemala and out 200 miles to sea. The 13th Coast Guard District is headquartered in Seattle, Washington and maintains responsibility for Coast Guard operations throughout the Pacific Northwest. The is based in Juneau, with responsibility for all Coast Guard operations in Alaska. The has responsibility for Coast Guard operations throughout a 12.2 million square mile region that encompasses the Hawaiian Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and Coast Guard activities in Saipan, Singapore, and Japan.

The Pacific Area and its subordinate units employ 13,000 active duty and reserve members, Coast Guard Auxiliarists, and civilian employees.

Operational assets[]

In addition to assets at each of its subordinate units, the Pacific Area command's operational assets include:

• 3 National Security Cutters
• 8
• 4
• 3
• 29 Patrol Boats
• 12
• 11 Sectors
• 10
• 13 HC-130 Fixed-Wing Aircraft
• 26 HH-65 Dolphin Helicopters
• 13 HH-60 Jayhawk Helicopters

Pacific Area also oversees the (DSFs), which include the National Strike Force, , Port Security Units, and Maritime Safety and Security Teams.

List of commanders[]

• Thomas H. Collins, 1998
• Charles E. Larkin, 2000
• Harvey E. Johnson Jr., June 2004
• Charles D. Wurster, May 2006
• David Pekoske, 29 May 2008^[2]
• Jody A. Breckenridge, 10 July 2009^[3]
• Manson K. Brown, 18 May 2010^[4]
• Paul F. Zukunft, 27 April 2012^[5]
• Charles W. Ray, 22 April 2014^[6]
• , 15 August 2016^[7]
• Linda L. Fagan, 8 June 2018^[8]
• , 16 June 2021 (acting)^[9]
• Michael F. McAllister, 30 June 2021^[10]

See also[]

• United States Coast Guard

References[]