Rear Admiral Retires in Coast Guard Ceremony

Rear Adm. Christopher C. Colvin, a native of Erie, PA, will retire from the Coast Guard during a ceremony scheduled today 1 p.m. aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Morgenthau at Coast Guard Island, Alameda, according to a U.S. Coast Guard announcement.

Colvin has served as the deputy commander of Coast Guard Pacific Area since June 8, 2011.

Along with being among the top five most senior cuttermen in the Coast Guard, he is completing his career as the second most senior Coast Guard officer in the Pacific. The Pacific Area covers the western half of the world divided by the Rocky Mountains.

Colvin joined the Coast Guard in August 1978.  He spent the majority of his career conducting afloat operations, serving aboard eight cutters while commanding three. Most of his shore assignments were associated with managing the cutter fleet, enhancing cutter readiness or running large maritime operations. 

Colvin also has expertise in maritime interdiction and law enforcement, search and rescue, defense operations, environmental response and the emerging Arctic. 

Colvin was promoted to flag rank in 2006. Previous flag assignments included serving as Deputy Director of Operations, U.S. Northern Command in Colorado Springs, Colo., where he coordinated the largest ever air evacuation of a U.S. city prior to the onset of Hurricane Gustav in New Orleans; and Commander, 17th Coast Guard District, Juneau, Alaska.

Other career highlights included supporting Hurricane Katrina operations, supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom off the coast of Syria, serving as Maritime Component Commander for Joint Task Force Haiti and conducting one of the largest early drug seizures, involving disabling gunfire, off the coast of Georgia.

Colvin earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C. and a Master of Arts in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College in Newport, R.I.

Colvin is married to the former Kristin Johnson of Tucson, Ariz.  The Colvins have a daughter, Meagan, a senior in college and a son, Mark, who will enter high school next year. The Colvins will retire to Colorado Springs.