Rear Admiral D. Brian Peterman, United States Coast Guard
Rear Admiral Peterman was raised in Malvern and is a 1968 graduate of Great Valley High School. In 1972, he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from West Chester University and entered the Coast Guard through the Officer Candidate program for what he thought would be a three-year tour of duty. That short tour of duty has extended to a thirty-year career.
Rear Admiral Peterman commanded two Coast Guard Cutters: the WOODRUSH out of Sitka, Alaska and the CAMPBELL out of New Bedford, M assachusetts . In addition, he has served aboard the Coast Guard Cutters ACUSNET out of Gulfport Mississippi, and SWEETBRIER out of Cordova, Alaska. His missions included maintaining aids to navigation, saving stricken mariners, enforcing fisheries and drug laws, and preparing for military operations.
In addition to his shipboard assignments, Rear Admiral Peterman served in a number of interesting assignments ashore. As the first Coast Guard officer in the Military Liaison Office in Kingston, Jamaica, he trained Jamaica Defense Force personnel for peacekeeping operations in Grenada. In 1988-90, he served at the Headquarters, U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany where he managed a program that required extensive travel in north and west Africa. Later, he commanded the Coast Guard’s key Alaska industrial and operational facility in Ketchikan.
The Rear Admiral has been assigned twice to the White House. From 1998 to 2000, he was a Director in the Defense Policy and Arms Control Directorate of the National Security Council where he worked on sensitive and high profile policy initiatives. Following the tragic attacks on September 11, 2001, he returned to the White House where he currently serves as the Special Assistant to the President for Borders and Transportation Security on the Homeland Security Council.
Rear Admiral Peterman earned a Masters of Science Degree in 1988 from the Naval War College. His military awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Joint Meritorious Service Medal, Cutterman’s insignia and the Presidential Service Insignia.
He is married to Mary Allie Bynum Peterman and they have four adult children.