Robert J. Papp Jr.

Admiral Robert Joseph Papp Jr.[1] (born 25 March 1953) is a retired admiral of the United States Coast Guard who served as the 24th commandant from 2010 to 2014. He led the largest component of the United States Department of Homeland Security, with 42,000 active duty, 8,200 Reserve, 8,000 civilian, and 31,000 Auxiliary personnel.

Robert Papp
Official portrait, 2010
United States Special Representative for the Arctic
In office
14 July 2014  20 January 2017
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byPosition established
Commandant of the United States Coast Guard
In office
25 May 2010  30 May 2014
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byThad Allen
Succeeded byPaul Zukunft
Personal details
Born (1953-03-25) 25 March 1953
North Kingstown, Rhode Island, U.S.
Alma materUnited States Coast Guard Academy
Naval War College
Salve Regina University
Military career
Service/branchUnited States Coast Guard
Years of service1975–2014
RankAdmiral
Commands held Commandant of the Coast Guard
Commander, U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area
Commander, U.S. Coast Guard 9th District
Battles/warsGlobal War on Terrorism
  11 September attacks
AwardsHomeland Security Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal
Coast Guard Commendation Medal
Coast Guard Achievement Medal

Early life and education

Papp is a 1975 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy. Additionally, he holds a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the United States Naval War College and a Master of Science in Management from Salve Regina University.[2]

Career

U.S. Coast Guard

As a flag officer, Papp served as Commander, Coast Guard Atlantic Area, where he was operational commander for all U.S. Coast Guard missions within the eastern half of the world and provided support to the Department of Defense; as the Chief of Staff of the Coast Guard and Commanding Officer of Coast Guard Headquarters; as Commander, Ninth Coast Guard District, with responsibilities for Coast Guard missions on the Great Lakes and Northern Border; and as Director of Reserve and Training where he was responsible for managing and supporting 13,000 Coast Guard Ready Reservists and all Coast Guard Training Centers.

Papp is a cutterman, having served on six Coast Guard cutters and commanded the cutters USCGC Red Beech, USCGC Papaw, USCGC Forward, and USCGC Eagle, the U.S. Coast Guard's training barque. He has also served as commander of a task unit during Operation Able Manner off the coast of Haiti in 1994, enforcing United Nations sanctions. Additionally, his task unit augmented U.S. Naval Forces during an American intervention in Haiti.

Papp's assignments ashore have included the Commandant of Cadets staff at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy; Aids to Navigation staff in the Third Coast Guard District; Chief of the Capabilities Branch in the Defense Operations Division; Chief of the Fleet Development Team; Director of the Leadership Development Center; Chief of the Coast Guard's Office of Congressional Affairs; and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Coast Guard.

Commander of the Atlantic Area

Until May 2010, Papp served as Commander, Coast Guard Atlantic Area in Portsmouth, Virginia and Commander, Defense Force East. He served as the operational commander for all U.S. Coast Guard missions within the eastern half of the world; ranging from the Rocky Mountains to the Persian Gulf and spanning an area of responsibility across 42 states with over 14 million square miles, and serving with more than 51,000 military and civilian employees and Auxiliarists.[3] In this role, he was also Commander, Defense Force East and provided Coast Guard mission support to the Department of Defense and Combatant Commanders.[4] He assumed those duties in July 2008.

Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard

Papp was promoted to admiral and succeeded Admiral Thad Allen as the U.S. Coast Guard's commandant in a change of command ceremony on 25 May 2010.[5] Papp made the first appointment in United States history of a woman to head a United States military service academy when he designated Sandra L. Stosz as superintendent of United States Coast Guard Academy.[6] On 30 May 2014, Papp was succeeded by Admiral Paul F. Zukunft.

U.S. Special Representative for the Arctic

On 16 July 2014, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced the appointment of retired Admiral Robert Papp to serve as U.S. Special Representative for the Arctic.[7] He retired from this position in January 2017 to become a lobbyist for a shipbuilding company.[8]

Awards and decorations

 
Gold star
Bronze star
Badge Cutterman Insignia
1st row Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal Defense Distinguished Service Medal
2nd row Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal with gold award star Legion of Merit with three gold award stars Meritorious Service Medal with gold award star and Operational Distinguishing Device
3rd row Coast Guard Commendation Medal with three gold award stars and "O" device Coast Guard Achievement Medal with "O" device Commandant's Letter of Commendation Ribbon
4th row Coast Guard Presidential Unit Citation with "hurricane symbol" Secretary of Transportation Outstanding Unit Award Coast Guard Unit Commendation with 1 award star and "O" device
5th row Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation with 4 award stars and "O" device Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon Meritorious Team Commendation with 2 award stars
6th row Coast Guard "E" Ribbon Coast Guard Bicentennial Unit Commendation National Defense Service Medal with 2 bronze service stars
7th row Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Armed Forces Service Medal
8th row Humanitarian Service Medal with 1 service star Transportation 9-11 Ribbon Special Operations Service Ribbon with 3 service stars
9th row Sea Service Ribbon with 4 service stars Order of Naval Merit Admiral Padilla (degree unknown) Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon with silver sharpshooter device
Badge Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge

Personal life

Papp is a native of Norwich, Connecticut. He is married to the former Linda Kapral of East Lyme, Connecticut, the daughter of retired Coast Guard Academy athletic coach Frank Kapral. The couple has three daughters, three granddaughters, and two grandsons.

On 30 July 2005, Papp was inducted into the Reserve Officers Association Minuteman Hall of Fame in recognition of dedicated service to the nation in support of the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve. He was presented the Distinguished Public Service Award of the National Maritime Historical Society in 1998 for his service as the Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle. In 2005 he was presented with the "Native Sons Award" by his home town of Norwich, Connecticut.

Papp is the 13th Gold Ancient Mariner of the Coast Guard, which is an honorary position held by an officer, with the earliest date of qualification as a Cutterman and over ten years of cumulative sea duty.[9] Papp accepted the 2010 Naval War College Distinguished Graduate Leadership Award from the Naval War College (NWC) during a ceremony held at the Washington Navy Yard on 6 May 2010. In a cover story interview published in the February 2012 issue of Military Officer, he described his plans for budgetary reductions in the U.S. Coast Guard.[10] Additionally, Admiral Papp was presented with the Dwight D. Eisenhower award in 2013.

See also

References

  1. Congressional Record — Senate (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. 21 March 1975. p. 8263. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  2. "Papp Official Coast Guard bio" (PDF).
  3. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 19 January 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. Official Coast Guard website (public domain)
  5. "Senior Leadership". www.uscg.mil.
  6. Altimari, Daniela (15 December 2010). "Military academy gets female leader". Times-Picayune. No. Saint Tammany Edition. New Orleans. p. A2. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  7. Secretary Kerry's Remarks U.S. Dept of State, 2014 July 16, retrieved: 2014 Aug. 4.
  8. "Adm. Robert Papp steps down as top Arctic diplomat". Anchorage Daily News. 26 January 2017.
  9. "United States Coast Guard (USCG) Atlantic Area".
  10. Philpott, Tom (February 2012). "Up to speed". Military Officer. Vol. 10, no. 2. Military Officers Association of America. pp. 52–57. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
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