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Commander
Gary M. Thomas
U.S. Coast Guard
Commander Thomas received his commission from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in May 1986, along with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. He has three tours afloat, as well as sailing in U.S. Navy and Royal Navy combatants, earning the permanent Cutterman designation and was Commanding Officer of USCGC PADRE (WPB-1328), homeported in Key West, Florida. He has participated in numerous search and rescue and law enforcement cases as well as many fisheries, counter narcotics and migrant interdiction patrols.
Ashore, his duties included USCG Liaison Officer to the U.S. Custom’s Service Southwest Region; Headquarters Office of Logistics Systems where he developed and deployed logistics and property management computer applications and information systems; Executive Officer, Loran Support Unit; and Resource Director, Electronic Systems Division, Maintenance and Logistics Command, Atlantic. Following 9/11, he led the Maritime Safety & Security Team (MSST) precommissioning detail.
In 2004, Commander Thomas was assigned as Chief , Contingency Planning for Coast Guard District Seven. His duties included hurricane planning for Southeast U. S. Coast Guard units and the Caribbean during the two most active hurricane seasons in recent history. In August 2006, he was assigned as Chief, Systems and Networks Branch, Atlantic Area and comes to Wildwood from duties as Deputy, C4IT & Security Division, Atlantic Area.
Commander Thomas graduated with honors from the University of Miami, where he earned his Masters of Science in Computer Information Systems with a Graduate Certificate in Telecommunications. He is also a graduate of the Joint Forces Staff College’s Joint & Combined Warfighting School.
His awards include two Meritorious Service Medals, four USCG Commendation medals (with the operational distinguishing device), two USCG Achievement medals (with the operational distinguishing device), Armed Forces Service Medal, Outstanding Military Volunteer Medal and numerous other personal and unit citations.
Commander Thomas is married to CAPT Cari Batson Thomas, Commanding Officer, Training Center Cape May. They have one daughter, Andi.