Captain
Joe Hester reported to USCGC SHERMAN on July 28, 2011 from Mexico City,
where he served as the principal Coast Guard Attaché to Mexico since
April 2010.
Captain
Hester has balanced his career between afloat operations and intelligence
assignments. His cutter tours include serving as Executive Officer of USCGC HAMILTON based in San Diego, California;
two tours aboard USCGC ATTU based in San Juan, Puerto Rico (as Commanding
Officer and Executive Officer); and as a Deck Watch Officer aboard USCGC BEAR
based in Portsmouth, Virginia.His
service in the Coast Guard intelligence enterprise includes duty as the
Military Assistant to the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence in
the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, including an assignment to
serve on the National Intelligence Council for Haitian earthquake
response.He served as Coast Guard
Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia
and on the Atlantic Area intelligence staff, where he established the MaritimeIntelligenceFusionCenter,
Atlantic and lead the Maritime Intelligence
Support Team. He served on the Commandant’s Budget Staff managing US Coast
Guard reports to Congress and served as a White House Social Aide.
Captain
Hester is a 1988 graduate of the US Coast Guard Academy. He earned a masters
degree in strategic intelligence in 1999 from the Joint Military Intelligence
College (now the NationalDefenseIntelligenceCollege), graduated from the NavalWarCollege seminar program
in 2003, and earned a masters degree in Strategic Studies from the US Army War
College in 2009.
Captain
Hester’s personal awards include Defense Meritorious Service Medal (2), Coast
Guard Meritorious Service Medals (2), Coast Guard Commendation Medals (4), and
Commandant’s Letter of Commendation (4), the Global War on Terrorism
Expeditionary Medal, three awards from the Colombian government for service
with their Navy, Coast Guard and National Police, and one award from Mexico for
service with their Navy. He received a National Intelligence Certificate of
Distinction for his service as Coast Guard Attaché and a National Intelligence
Exceptional Achievement Medal for his service while Military Assistant to the
Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence.
Captain Hester hails from Fire Island, New York.
He is married to the former Lynne Maddox Gladstone of Fairfax, Virginia.
They have one daughter, Katy, age seven.
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