Captain Doreen McCarthy assumed the duties of Deputy Commander Sector New York in May 2024 after completing Senior Service School at the United States Air War College, Montgomery, Alabama. As Deputy, she assists the Sector Commander with leading a workforce of more than 1,000 Active and Reserve Components, Civilian personnel, and more than 2,000 Auxiliarists, serving at seven cutters, three multi-mission stations, two Aids to Navigation Teams, and a Vessel Traffic Management System.
As a Response, Prevention, and Emergency Management professional, she served in several operational units spanning the United States. Her prior field assignment was as Deputy Commander, Sector Lake Michigan, overseeing 1,900 personnel supporting operations at 18 multi-mission Stations, two Aids to Navigation Teams, a Sector Field Office, a Marine Safety Detachment, and Marine Safety Unit Chicago. She served as the Response Department Head in Louisville, Kentucky, at Sector Ohio Valley, where she was directly responsible for overseeing response operations for an area of responsibility that included 10 states and directed personnel who provided maritime security, search and rescue, marine safety, and environmental protection for over 8,000 miles of navigable waterways, moving 600 million tons of commodities on twelve major rivers. She also served at Marine Safety Unit Valdez, Alaska, leading emergency management and environmental response operations, and Sector Delaware Bay in Port Operations.
Her staff assignments include most recently with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)- Joint Task Force East (JTF), specifically within the Planning and International & Interagency Coordination Directorates, leading, coordinating, and overseeing strategy to support the objectives of the DHS Southern Border and Approaches Campaign Plan. In addition to her duties at JTF-East, she was detailed to serve as the Executive Assistant to the Atlantic Area Commander. She served in the Office of Contingency Preparedness Exercise and Policy, where she led many working groups. She was detailed to DHS as the Special Assistant to the Senior Counselor and one of the principal authors of the Department’s Climate Change Adaptation Plan. She authored each of DHS’s Components Plan of Action and Milestones that led to the implementation of the Climate Change Adaptation Plan, including the execution of a Senior Leadership Exercise for Climate Change Adaptation. She also served with the CG-Incident Management Assist Team, leading the stand-up team and at the Fifth Coast Guard District in the Waterways Management Branch and Aids to Navigation Program.
Captain McCarthy's career is marked by a wealth of experience and a proven track record of managing major response operations. She has responded to numerous significant incidents, including the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the 2014 Unaccompanied Children Crisis, the 2017 Hurricane Harvey response, and the 2020 Democratic National Convention, demonstrating her ability to handle high-pressure situations with poise and efficiency.
A native of Dorchester, Massachusetts, Captain McCarthy graduated from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree, earned a Master of Business Administration from Averett University, which included a semester of study abroad in Beijing, China, and graduated from the U.S. Air War College with a Master of Science in National Security and Strategic Studies and Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) Phase II credit. She also earned JPME Phase I credit from the U.S. Naval War College. Her decorations include both Response and Prevention Ashore Insignias, Honorary Chief Petty Officer, the Meritorious Service Medal (3), the Commendation Medal (4), the Achievement Medal, and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal.