Rear Admiral Hickey assumed duty as the Ninth District Commander in April 2023. He is the senior Coast Guard Commander for the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence Seaway, an area that encompasses eight states, a 1,500-mile international border, and a workforce of over 6,000 Coast Guard active duty, reserve, civilian and auxiliary men and women.
Prior flag assignments include Director of Operational Logistics (DOL), where he was responsible for the delivery of mission support logistics for Coast Guard steady state, contingency, and expeditionary operations and for planned events of national significance; Coast Guard’s Director of Governmental and Public Affairs, where he was responsible for external engagements with Congress, the media, and other inter-governmental entities.
Rear Admiral Hickey’s Coast Guard career includes operational and mission support tours. Some of his previous assignments include serving as the Special Assistant to the Vice President; Commanding Officer, Base Alameda; Commanding Officer, Project Resident Office Lockport, Louisiana; Chief, Office of Budget and Programs; Executive Officer, Rescue 21 Project Resident Office, Scottsdale, Arizona; Program Reviewer, Office of Budget and Programs; Design and Construction Manager; Civil Engineering Unit, Oakland, California; Engineering Officer in Training, and the USCGC MIDGETT.
Rear Admiral Hickey is a 1994 graduate of the Coast Guard Academy. He has earned his master’s degrees from the Senior Service School at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Illinois, and George Washington University. He is also a graduate of the Advanced Acquisition Program at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. Rear Admiral Hickey is also a certified Project Management Professional, a DHS Level III Program Manager and a licensed professional engineer in the state of California. He has been a fellow at MIT’s Seminar XXI National Security Fellowship.
His honors include the Defense Superior Service Medal, two Legions of Merit, four Meritorious Service Medals, two Commendation Medals, two Achievement Medals, and a Commandant’s Letter of Commendation.
Rear Admiral Hickey is married and is the proud father of five children.