Rear Admiral Robert E. Sloncen assumed the duties as Senior Reserve Officer, Coast Guard Pacific Area and Deputy Commander, U.S. Maritime Defense Zone Sector Northern California on August 1, 1992, simultaneously with his promotion to flag rank.
Commissioned from Officer Candidate School in June 1962, Rear Admiral Sloncen served as Operations Officer and Executive Officer at Group Sabine, Sabine, Texas. Following his release from active duty in June 1965, he was assigned to Western Reserve Training Schools at Alameda, California, where he taught at the Port Security at the Western Reserve Training Schools for 3 months. When he returned to Phoenix in September of 1965 he joined the local USCG Reserve Unit.
Rear Admiral Sloncen served as Commanding Officer at various Reserve units for 18 years. Past commands include Coast Guard Reserve Unit Phoenix, Coast Guard Reserve Unit San Diego, and Coast Guard Reserve Group San Diego. He also commissioned two unites: Coast Guard Reserve Unit WPB San Diego and Coast Guard Reserve Unit Maritime Defense Zone Sector Southern California. He has served on numerous boards and special assignments at Coast Guard Headquarters and the Eleventh Coast Guard District.
From June 1994 through August 1994, Rear Admiral Sloncen served as Chief, Office of Readiness and Reserve, United States Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, DC. He was the first Coast Guard Senior Reserve Officer to hold that position. He has served as senior member of the Coast Guard Reserve Policy Board and is currently a member of the Reserve Forces Policy Board.
A 1962 graduate of Arizona State University, Rear Admiral Sloncen performed post graduate work at Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University. He also completed the National War College Reserve Components National Security Course and the Army War College Senior Reserve components Officer Course. His decorations include two Legion of Merits and two Coast Guard Commendation Medals.
Born in Glenview, Il in 1939 but moved to Phoenix, AZ two weeks after the end of WWII. He graduated from Brophy College Prep in 1957 and was a four year letterman in baseball and basketball and was Student Body Vice President his senior year. He then attended Arizona State University and upon graduation he attended USCG Officer Candidate School in Yorktown, VA. In civilian life Rear Admiral Sloncen is employed as an administrator for Hyder School District in Dateland, Arizona.
He has served on the SW Arizona Futures Forum Board, Yuma Catholic High School Board, St. Francis Elementary School Board, AEA Federal Credit Union Board, and was Brophy Prep Alumni President. He is a member of the “Arizona Rural Schools Hall of Fame”, “Yuma County Educational Hall of Fame”, “Arizona Veteran’s Hall of Fame” and “2001 Yuma County Citizen of the Year”.
He resides in Arizona with his wife, the former Jill L. T, a retired teach and retired YN1 USCGR. They have two daughters, Tracey and Stephanie, along with 7 grandchildren.