Rear Admiral Arguin serves as the Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy, and he is responsible for the development of national policy, standards, and programs promoting Marine Safety, Security and Environmental Stewardship. In this role, he leads several directorates including the Inspections and Compliance, Marine Transportation Systems and Commercial Regulations and Standards. Rear Admiral Arguin also leads the waterways management, navigation and boating safety, ports and facilities, merchant mariner credentialing, vessel documentation, marine casualty investigation, commercial vessel inspections, and port state control programs for the Coast Guard.
Rear Admiral Arguin is a 1992 graduate of the Coast Guard Academy, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. In 2001, he earned a Master of Science degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the University of Michigan.
Prior to his current assignment, Rear Admiral Arguin served as the Director of Inspection and Compliance at Coast Guard Headquarters. His previous operational assignments include Sector Commander, Sector New Orleans. He also served as Executive Officer of Marine Safety Office Memphis, TN, and Prevention Department Head at Sector Lower Mississippi River where he coordinated waterways management, vessel inspections, mariner licensing and marine casualty investigations on the Lower Mississippi River and its tributaries.
In 1994, Rear Admiral Arguin earned his Marine Inspection qualifications at Marine Safety Office Hampton Roads and served as senior marine inspector performing commercial vessel and cruise ship inspections at Marine Safety Office located in Tampa, Florida. He was also assigned to USCGC HARRIET LANE (WMEC-903) as a student engineer and Damage Control Assistant from 1992-1994.
His staff assignments include Director of Emerging Policy and Executive Officer, Hull Division Chief and Salvage Engineering Response Team (SERT) Leader at the Coast Guard’s Marine Safety Center. He was responsible for the evaluation and approval of vessel structures, stability, fire protection systems and coordinated salvage engineering support to the Coast Guard Captains of the Port (COTP) and Federal On-Scene Coordinators (FOSC) in response to a variety of vessel casualties.