Master Chief Thomas J. Cowan
Reserve Command Master Chief
U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area
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Master Chief Thomas J. Cowan assumed the duties of Reserve Command Master Chief Pacific Area on June 27, 2010.
His previous Gold Badge assignments include Maintenance Logistic Command Pacific (2007-2009), and District Eleven Reserve Command Master Chief (2003-2007) intersperse with a six-month deployment in 2005 to Guantanamo with Port Security Unit 311. He was advanced to Master Chief in January 2003.
Master Chief Cowan enlisted in the Air Force in 1973, completing basic training at Lackland AFB. He was an honor graduate of the Air Forces Security Police Technical School and completed Air Base Ground Defense training. He served four years on active duty including tours at Plattsburgh AFB, NY; Goose Bay Labrador, Canada; Nakhon Phanom and Korat, Thailand and Hill AFB, UT before separating in 1977. In 1984, he enlisted in the Coast Guard Reserve as a Public Affairs Specialist with Reserve Unit Salt Lake City. Other Coast Guard assignments include Reserve Unit National Strike Force Coordination Center; Public Affairs Detachment San Pedro, CA; PACAREA Public Affairs, Alameda; and 18 months recall under Title X orders to G-IPA-2 at Coast Guard Headquarters.
His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, CG Commendation Medal with 2 stars; CG Achievement Medal with 1 star; Commandant’s Letter of Commendation; Joint Meritorious Unit Citation; Coast Guard Unit Citation; Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation; Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendation with 4 stars and “O” device; Coast Guard Reserve Good Conduct (7); Armed Forces Reserve Medal with M device x 3; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary medal, Global War on Terrorism Service medal, and others.
MCPO Cowan is a graduate of KEYSTONE at the National Defense University, the USCG Senior Enlisted Leadership Course, the Reserve Component National Security Course, the DoD Co-lateral Public Affairs Course, and the Chief Petty Officer Academy Reserve Class XI.
In civilian life Mr. Cowan is Director of Operations for the U. S. Air Force’s 2nd Combat Camera Squadron at Hill AFB, UT. He holds an MFA degree in film production from the University of Utah and two BA degrees from Weber State University. As a civilian Mr. Cowan completed the 9- month non-resident DoD Public Affairs Qualification Course, non-resident USAF Air Command and Staff College and is a graduate of the Air Force’s Squadron Officer School resident program.
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