Coast Guard Liaison Office

Liaison Officer - Captain Jeffrey R. "Prime Time" Pettitt

CAPT Pettitt grew up in New Mexico and attended the
U. S. Coast Guard Academy, in New London, CT. He earned his Commission and a B.S. in Civil Engineering, graduating with Honors in 1979. ENS Pettitt was first assigned as a Deck Watch Officer to CGC Planetree (a coastal buoy tender) in Juneau, AK.

LTJG Pettitt began his aviation career at Pensacola in January, 1981, earning his naval aviator “wings of gold” in December 1981. LTJG Pettitt flew the HH-52A Seaguard amphibious Sikorsky helicopter at CGAS North Bend, OR from 1982 thru 1987 and also earned his Aviation Safety Officer qualification from NPGS Monterrey. LT Pettitt flew at CGAS Detroit from 1987 to 1991, transitioning to the HH-65A Dolphin in 1989.

LCDR Pettitt was assigned to USCG Headquarters for four years, working as an Aircraft Accident Investigator and Safety Specialist for the Aviation Safety Branch (presently CG-1131). While in HQ, he pioneered the USCG interest in commercial aviation’s fledgling Cockpit Resource Management, eventually creating CG aviation’s crew coordination program known as Crew Resource Mgmt (CRM). He trained the first 40 CRM instructors, and this inexpensive program dramatically improved mission safety and teamwork to the point that his program was adapted for use throughout the USCG fleet of aircraft, cutters, and small boats. He was paroled one year early from HQ for good behavior, escaping in 1994 to become the first aviation Operations Officer of his year group.

Commander Pettitt served a rare four year tour as Operations Officer at CGAS Brooklyn, leading the unit through the extensive search & recovery ops for the TWA 800 crash, New Haven’s Special Olympic World Games support, and finally the unit closure in 1998. While at Brooklyn, he earned a Masters in Human Resource Management from Central Michigan University.

His next assignment was as Executive Officer at CGAS Los Angeles from 1998 to 2001. While at LA, he flew for numerous TV and movie sets, earning his “Prime Time” call sign, and was also the second USCG helicopter on scene for the offshore Alaskan Airlines crash response.

CAPT Pettitt was then assigned as Chief of Search & Rescue for USCG District Thirteen (responsible for USCG activities in the states of OR, WA, ID and MT) in Seattle, WA. Following 9/11, he was instrumental in the procurement and testing of the speedy, maneuverable response boat, the RBS, greatly enhancing the USCG’s ability to provide waterside protection, escorts & intervention for Homeland Security missions.

CAPT Pettitt returned to aviation as the Commanding Officer of Sector/Air Station Humboldt Bay in McKinleyville, CA in 2003. Sector Humboldt Bay is responsible for 250 miles of rugged Northern California coastline, including over 300 active duty, Reserve and Auxiliary members, two surf boat stations, two 87-ft Patrol Boats, an Air Station, plus an Aids-to-Navigation Team. While skipper of Sector Humboldt Bay, he was assigned as part of VADM Allen’s PFO team at ground zero in New Orleans during the Hurricane Katrina aftermath in 2005. He became the federal officer in charge of Human Remains Recovery following the failure of the state of Louisiana to meet national & Presidential concerns. CAPT Pettitt completed his full CO tour at Humboldt Bay, taking over as the CG Liaison to Naval Flight Training in Pensacola in August, 2006.

CAPT Pettitt’s military awards include one operational Meritorious Service Medal, two additional Meritorious Service Medals, three CG Commendation Medals, three Achievement Medals, numerous Meritorious and Unit Commendation Awards, three National Defense Medals, two Humanitarian Service Medals, the 9/11 and Global War on Terrorism Ribbons, both the Special Operations and Sea Service Ribbons, and numerous individual and team awards.