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AST | Welcome Aboard!
Meet the XO, LCDR Monica L. Rochester
After receiving a Bachelors of Arts in Communications from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, Lieutenant Commander Rochester enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1989 and served at motor lifeboat station Fort Point, motor lifeboat station Golden Gate, and Group San Francisco as a heavy weather boat crewmember and law enforcement boarding team member, and communications watchstander. Upon completion of Yeoman “A” School in Petaluma, California in 1991, she was assigned to Marine Safety Office Corpus Christi, Texas and qualified as a Marine Casualty Investigator, Pollution Investigator and Federal On-Scene Coordinator’s Representative.
After receiving a commission from Officer Candidate School in Yorktown, Virginia, Lieutenant Commander Rochester was assigned to Marine Safety Office/Unit Galveston, Texas where she served as Chief, Marine Environmental Protection and Response and Chief, Marine Investigations. During this time, she detected oil spills resulting from an explosion aboard the tankship BERGE BANKER and the catastrophic hull failure for the BUFFALO 292 using Hand-held Infra-Red and Texas Automated Buoy System. She co-authored a technical paper for the 1997 International Oil Spill Conference on the employment of technology and special response teams.
While assigned to Marine Safety Office Miami, Florida in 1998, Lieutenant Commander Rochester served as Chief, Marine Environmental Response, Chief, Small Passenger Vessel Inspections, and Port State Control inspector where she enforced new International Cruise Ship fire safety regulations. In 1999, she led the PREP Drill for a major oil company, pioneered use of commercial industrial vessels for VOSS deployment, coordinated OPSAIL 2000 and supervised two new construction cruise ship projects in Genoa, Italy and Hamburg, Germany.
After completing Merchant Marine Industry Training with Alabama Shipyard and Atlantic Marine, Inc in 2001, Lieutenant Commander Rochester served as Chief, Small Passenger Vessel and Barge Inspections and Chief, Port State Control at Marine Safety Office/Sector Mobile, Alabama implementing new Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) regulations for vessels and facilities. While assigned in Mobile, Lieutenant Commander Rochester simultaneously served a three year assignment on the LANTAREA Incident Management Assist Team (IMAT) where she was Operations Section Chief for hurricane ISABEL and Situation Unit Leader for G-8 Summit, Republican National Convention and Super Bowl XXXVII.
In 2005, Lieutenant Commander Rochester was assigned to Coast Guard Personnel Command, Officer Personnel Management as the Junior Prevention Assignment Officer for Marine Inspections, Investigations, Planning, ATON and Waterways Management positions. During this time, Lieutenant Commander Rochester deployed to Baton Rouge, Louisiana as Operations Section Chief during oil spill recovery phase in the aftermath of hurricane KATRINA.
Lieutenant Commander Rochester has earned three Coast Guard Commendation Medals, five Coast Guard Achievement Medals, two Commandant’s Letter of Commendation, Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal, two Humanitarian Service Medals in addition to several other personal awards and Coast Guard unit commendations.
Lieutenant Commander Rochester is blessed with loving family who reside in Dallas, Texas, Pensacola, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia.
“The World’s Best Responders: Any Time, Any Place, Any Hazard.”