Rear Admiral Bobby F. Hollingworth assumed command of the Fifth Coast Guard District on May 8, 1986. He also serves as Deputy Commander, Maritime Defense Zone, Sector Five. His previous assignment was Commander, Second Coast Guard District in St. Louis, Missouri.
He was promoted to flag rank in May 1982 and appointed as Chief of the Coast Guard's Office of Marine Environment and Systems at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters. During that assignment he was the program director for the Coast Guard's Port and Environmental Safety, Marine Environmental Response and Waterways Management programs. Prior to that he was the Deputy Chief of the Office of Operations.
While at Headquarters Rear Admiral Hollingsworth was the United States Representative to the Marine Protection Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and was chairman of the United States Delegation to a major international conference on liability and compensation for damage in connection with the carriage of oil and hazardous substances by sea.
His sea service includes a tour as commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Jarvis (1973-75) which was engaged in fisheries law enforcement patrols in Alaskan waters. He also served as commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Cape Upright, as executive officer of the Coast Guard Cutter McCulloch, and was a deck watch officer aboard the Cutter Ingham. While a junior officer he commanded Coast Guard LORAN Station Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands.
Rear Admiral Hollingsworth completed graduate studies in communications engineering at the U.S. Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey, California, where he graduated in 1962. He has held a number of important telecommunications assignments, including duty as Chief of the Telecommunications Management Division at Coast Guard Headquarters. While in that assignment during 1978-79, he was the United States Representative to the International Maritime Organization Subcommittee on Radiocommunications.
A native of South Irvine, Kentucky, Rear Admiral Hollingsworth graduated from high school in Delray Beach, Florida. He attended the University of Florida prior to attending the Coast Guard Academy as a member of the class of 1955.
He is married to the former Patricia M. of New London, Connecticut. They have a son Matthew and two married daughters, Alicia Bowden and Denise DeFranco.