Vice Admiral Manson K. Brown assumed the duties as the second Deputy Commandant for Mission Support (DCMS) in May 2012. He is responsible for all facets of support for the Coast Guard’s diverse mission set through oversight of human capital, lifecycle engineering, acquisitions, telecommunications and information technology, and thirteen support Bases around the Nation.
Vice Admiral Brown is a native of Washington, DC. A 1978 graduate of 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 Champaign-Urbana and National Resources Strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He is a registered professional civil engineer.
Vice Admiral Brown’s previous commands include Coast Guard Pacific Area and Defense Force West, the 14th 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 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.
Vice Admiral Brown’s many military decorations include the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal, the U.S. Transportation Secretary’s Gold Medal, the Legion of Merit, and Iraq Campaign Medal. In 1994, Vice Admiral Brown was honored as the first recipient of the Coast Guard’s Captain John G. Witherspoon Award for Inspirational Leadership.