Rear Admiral Roy A. Nash serves as the Commander of the Eighth Coast Guard District in New Orleans, and is responsible for U.S. Coast Guard operations covering 26 states, more than 1,200 miles of coastline and 10,300 miles of inland waterways from Florida to Mexico and including the entire navigable lengths of the Mississippi, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, and Tennessee River systems.
Prior to this assignment he served as Special Assistant to the Deputy Commandant for Operations, following several months as Deputy Federal On-Scene Coordinator for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response. His first Flag assignment was Deputy Director of the National Maritime Intelligence Center.
A native of Clifton Park, New York, Rear Admiral Nash is a 1979 graduate of the Coast Guard Academy. His previous staff assignments include Chief of Staff of the Thirteenth Coast Guard District, Executive Assistant to the Coast Guard Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety, Security and Environmental Protection; Assignment Officer for the Marine Safety program; and staff engineer at the Coast Guard Marine Safety Center and Coast Guard Headquarters.
Rear Admiral Nash’s command assignments include Commander, Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England; Commanding Officer of the Marine Safety Center, Washington, DC; Commanding Officer of Marine Safety Office Portland, Maine, and Executive Officer of Marine Safety Office Charleston, South Carolina.
Rear Admiral Nash holds a Master of Science degree in Fire Protection Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
His military decorations include the Legion of Merit (4), Coast Guard Meritorious Service Medal (2), Coast Guard Commendation Medal (4), Coast Guard Achievement Medal, and various unit and team awards.