Manson K. Brown
| Manson K. Brown | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction | |
|
Assumed office March 18, 2015 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Deputy Commandant for Mission Support | |
|
In office May 25, 2010 – May 30, 2014 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Manson K. Brown Washington, District of Columbia, U.S. |
|
Military career | |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America |
| Service/branch |
 United States Coast Guard |
| Years of service | 1978-2014 |
| Rank | Vice Admiral |
| Commands held |
Deputy Commandant for Mission Support Coast Guard Pacific Area Fourteeth Coast Guard District MLC, Pacific |
| Battles/wars |
September 11 attacks Global War on Terrorism Operation Iraqi Freedom |
| Awards |
 Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal Secretary of Transportation Outstanding Achievement Medal Legion of Merit Meritorious Service Medal Coast Guard Commendation Medal Coast Guard Achievement Medal Iraq Campaign Medal |
| Spouse(s) | Herminia Brown |
| Relations | 3 children |
Manson K. Brown is a retired U.S. Coast Guard Vice Admiral (VADM) and public official. His top military decoration is the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal. In 1994, he became the first recipient of the Coast Guard Captain John G. Witherspoon Award for Inspirational Leadership. In 2012, he was honored with the Golden Torch Award by the National Society for Black Engineers. In 2014, he was honored by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People with the Meritorious Service Award, an honor annually bestowed to a service member in a policy-making position for the highest achievement in military equal opportunity. Off duty, he is an active road cyclist.
Early life and education
VADM Brown is a native of Washington, DC. He graduated in 1978 from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. He also holds Master of Science degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and National Resources Strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He is a registered professional civil engineer.
Career
U.S. Coast Guard
VADM Brown’s commands include Coast Guard Pacific Area, the Fourteenth Coast Guard District, Maintenance and Logistics Command Pacific, Sector Honolulu, and Group Charleston. From 1999 to 2002, he served as the Military Assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, including duty as the Acting Deputy Chief of Staff for six months after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In May 2003, he served as the Chief of Officer Personnel Management at the Coast Guard Personnel Command. From April to July 2004, he was temporarily assigned as the Senior Advisor for Transportation to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad, Iraq. Working in a combat zone, he oversaw restoration of Iraq’s major transportation systems, including two major ports.
Previous tours of duty include Assistant Engineering Officer aboard the icebreaker Glacier, Project Engineer at Civil Engineering Unit Miami, Deputy Group Commander at Coast Guard Group Mayport, Engineering Assignment Officer in the Officer Personnel Division at Coast Guard Headquarters, Facilities Engineer at Support Center Alameda, and Assistant Chief, Civil Engineering Division at Maintenance and Logistics Command Pacific. He commanded operations at every level, culminating as Commander of Coast Guard Pacific Area in Alameda, California where he oversaw all Coast Guard operational activities throughout the Pacific Rim. Building on his technical competence as a registered professional civil engineer, his last assignment on active duty was as Deputy Commandant for Mission Support in Washington, DC, where he oversaw all aspects of human resources, engineering, information technology, acquisition, and logistics support for Coast Guard operations and people throughout the globe. VADM Brown retired from the Coast Guard in May, 2014.[1]
Commerce Department
VADM Brown was sworn in as the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction on March 18, 2015. In this role he strategically drives Administration policy, programming, and investments for all NOAA observing systems, including in situ instruments and satellites, and the process of converting observations to predictions for environmental threats related to weather, climate, water, oceans, and space weather. He serves as NOAA Deputy Administrator and Chair of NOAA’s Observing Systems Council.[2]
Awards and decorations
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See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Manson K. Brown. |
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Coast Guard document "http://www.uscg.mil/flag/biography/mansonbrown.pdf".