RADM Richard R Houck

Rear Admiral Richard R. Houck served as the District 13 Commander from 2005-2007.  He came to the Thirteenth District from Coast Guard Headquarters, where he served as the U.S. Coast Guard Assistant Commandant for Planning, Resources & Procurement (CG-8). He was responsible for the Coast Guard’s budget, programming, long range planning and policy development processes. RADM Houck was selected for flag rank in 2002.

Upon graduating from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1975, RADM Houck was assigned to the high endurance cutter USCGC HAMILTON (WHEC 715) as a student engineer. RADM Houck subsequently served as Engineer Officer on the medium endurance cutter USCGC NORTHLAND (WMEC 904) and as Executive Officer on the high endurance cutter USCGC JARVIS (WHEC 725).

RADM Houck’s shore assignments include Chief of Staff, Seventeenth Coast Guard District in Juneau, Alaska; Commanding Officer, Integrated Support Command, Portsmouth, Virginia; Program Reviewer for Operations at Coast Guard Headquarters; Chief Engineer at Resident Inspector Offices Seattle and Tacoma; Industrial Manager at Coast Guard Base Honolulu and 378’ WHEC Naval Engineering Type Desk in Honolulu. He served as a member of the Coast Guard Health Care Delivery System Study, the Reserve Policy Board, and the Commandant’s Leadership Advisory Committee. He was the first Coast Guard Fellow at the Center for Naval Analyses in Alexandria, Virginia. RADM Houck earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. He also earned master degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School and in Business Administration from Pepperdine University and is a distinguished graduate of the Naval War College. RADM Houck was Executive Director of the Coast Guard’s DHS Transition Team, when the Coast Guard moved from the Department of Transportation to the new Department of Homeland Security.

RADM Houck’s military awards include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Coast Guard Commendation Medal, and Coast Guard Achievement Medal.