Admiral Robert Joseph Papp Jr. (born 25 March 1953) is a retired

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

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.

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.

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 , , , and , 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. In this role, he was also Commander, Defense Force East and provided Coast Guard mission support to the Department of Defense and Combatant Commanders. 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. Papp made the first appointment in

United States history The history of the lands that became the United States began with the arrival of the first people in the Americas around 15,000 BC. Numerous indigenous cultures formed, and many saw transformations in the 16th century away from more densely ...

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. On 30 May 2014, Papp was succeeded by Admiral

Paul F. Zukunft Paul Frederick Zukunft (born 30 January 1955) is a retired admiral of the United States Coast Guard who served as the 25th commandant. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the Commandant, with the rank of admiral, in May 2014 and relieved Ro ...

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. He retired from this position in January 2017 to become a lobbyist for a shipbuilding company.

Awards and decorations

Personal life

Papp is a native of

Norwich, Connecticut Norwich ( ) (also called "The Rose of New England") is a city in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The Yantic, Shetucket, and Quinebaug Rivers flow into the city and form its harbor, from which the Thames River flows south to Long ...

. He is married to the former Linda Kapral of East Lyme, Connecticut, the daughter of retired Coast Guard Academy athletic coach

Frank Kapral Frank Samuel Kapral (February 15, 1929 – March 17, 2020) was an American football and wrestling coach. Personal life Kapral was born in Courtdale, Pennsylvania, on February 15, 1929. He was the youngest of five children of George and Helen Kap ...

. 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. Papp accepted the 2010

Naval War College Distinguished Graduate Leadership Award The Naval War College Distinguished Graduate leadership Award was established in 1996 by the Trustees of the Naval War College Foundation to honor United States Naval War College graduates who have attained positions of prominence in the field of n ...

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 An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent context ...

'', he described his plans for budgetary reductions in the U.S. Coast Guard. Additionally, Admiral Papp was presented with the Dwight D. Eisenhower award in 2013.

References

External links

* * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Papp, Robert J. 1953 births Living people American people of German descent United States Coast Guard Academy alumni Military personnel from Norwich, Connecticut Salve Regina University alumni Naval War College alumni Recipients of the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (United States) United States Coast Guard admirals Commandants of the United States Coast Guard United States Special Envoys