Security Levels
Commanding
Officers
Lieutenant Brian Smicklas (Port Crew)
LT Brian Smicklas graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 2000.
Following graduation, he reported to CGC DAUNTLESS, homeported in Galveston, TX
and served as the Supply Officer. He immediately continued his at sea career as
the Operations Officer onboard CGC WALNUT in Honolulu, HI.
From 2002-2004, LT Smicklas conducted multi-mission operations throughout the
South Pacific including joint law enforcement exercises with the Fijian Navy
and humanitarian operations in the Kiribati
Islands. Moreover, he
planned and oversaw the historic deployment to Umm Qasr, Iraq where CGC WALNUT
conducted United Nations Security boardings, executed security patrols
protecting off shore oil terminals and located ATON gear in Iraq,
reestablishing the waterway and enabling humanitarian aid to enter Iraq’s only
port. Following his tour as OPS, LT Smicklas was assigned to the Seventh
District Office of Aids to Navigation as the Field Operations Chief where he
was responsible for the recovery of the Seventh District Aids to Navigation
system following an unprecedented nine major hurricane strikes, including
Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma. LT Smicklas returned to sea duty in 2006 as the
Operations Officer onboard CGC CHASE (WHEC 718) homeported in San Diego, CA.
As OPS, he conducted a myriad of operations including multiple counter drug
patrols in the Eastern Pacific and a joint operation with the Russian Federal
Security Service in the Bering Sea. LT
Smicklas is currently serving as the Commanding Officer of USCGC KEY BISCAYNE
(WPB 1339), homeported in Key West,
FL. Over the past 18 months, LT
Smicklas and the crew of CGC KEY BISCAYNE have accumulated a distinguished
record of high performance throughout the Florida Straits
and Windward/Mona Pass AORs.
LT Smicklas’ Personal Awards Include: Coast Guard
Commendation Medal (2), Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Coast Guard
Achievement Medal, Commandant Letter of Commendation, Global War on Terrorism
Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.
Lieutenant Commander Nicholas A. Kalin (Starboard Crew)
Lieutenant Commander Kalin graduated from the United States Coast Guard
Academy in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering. Upon
graduating he was assigned as an Engineering Officer-in-training on USCGC
COURAGEOUS (WMEC 622) in Panama City
Beach, Florida until
her decommissioning in 2001. Additional afloat assignments include: First
Lieutenant of USCGC CAMPBELL (WMEC 909) in New Bedford,
Massachusetts from 2001 to 2003 and Operations
Officer of USCGC VIGILANT (WMEC 617) in Port Canaveral, Florida from 2007 to 2009. Lieutenant
Commander Kalin took command of the CGC KEY BISCAYNE (WPB 1339) starboard crew
on June 11, 2009.
Lieutenant Commander Kalin’s only shore assignment was at Civil
Engineering Unit Providence, where he was Construction Project Manager for the
New York/New Jersey region of District One and Facility Asset Manager for
Sector New York.
In this position, Lieutenant Commander Kalin executed over $5.5M in shore side
construction and coordinated the AFC-43 program for the largest Coast Guard
field command.
Lieutenant Commander Kalin earned a Masters Degree in Civil Engineering from
the University of
Illinois at
Champaign-Urbana in 2004. His personal awards include the Coast Guard
Commendation Medal, 911 Medal, 2 Letters of Commendation, the Armed Forces
Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Coast Guard Sea Service Ribbon with
bronze star and Coast Guard Expert Rifleman. He has earned the DOT Outstanding
Unit Award with Operational Distinguishing Device, CG Presidential Unit Citation,
3 Meritorious Unit Commendations, Coast Guard Battle “E” Ribbon, Global War on
Terror Service Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal.
Commanding
Officers