Rear Admiral Platt assumed the duties of Military Advisor to the Secretary of Homeland Security in June 2022. His primary responsibility is to provide counsel to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary regarding policies, plans, and other affairs between the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense.
Rear Admiral Platt previously served as the Executive Assistant to the 26th Commandant of the Coast Guard providing senior executive decision support, advice, and recommendations to shape, communicate, and carry out strategic direction, policy, and internal/external communications.
He is a native of Boston, Massachusetts and entered the Coast Guard through the Minority Officer Recruitment Effort (MORE), now known as the College Student Pre- Commissioning Initiative (CSPI). He graduated from Hampton University with a Bachelor of Science, American Military University with a Master of Science, and the National War College with a Master of Science in National Security Strategy. Rear Admiral Platt was a 2014 MIT Seminar XXI Fellow and is an alumnus of Harvard’s National Preparedness Leadership Initiative.
Rear Admiral Platt previously served at six Coast Guard aviation units, including the Polar Operations Division (POPDIV), and Commanding Officer of Air Station Detroit (2010-2012) and Air Station Miami (2017-2019). During his career, he accumulated over 3,600 hours of flight time in the MH-65 helicopter and the HC- 144 airplane.
Prior to attending flight training, Rear Admiral Platt served as a boarding officer and deployable officer in charge with Law Enforcement Detachment One in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and after completing National Search and Rescue School, served as a Command Duty Officer at Coast Guard Greater Antilles Section (GANTSEC) Command Center also in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Rear Admiral Platt’s staff tours include First Coast Guard District Incident Management Branch, Boston, MA; Special Assistant to the 24th Commandant of the Coast Guard; Chief of the Homeland Defense Division, Joint Staff Operations Directorate (J3) and Coast Guard Liaison Officer to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Pentagon; Executive Assistant to the Director of Governmental and Public Affairs; and Executive Assistant to the 31st Vice Commandant.
Rear Admiral Platt has earned various personal, unit, and service awards, and has been designated an Honorary Chief Petty Officer.