Vice Admiral Midgette assumed the duties of Commander, Coast Guard Pacific Area in August 2016, where he serves as the operational commander for all U.S. Coast Guard missions within half of the world that ranges from the Rocky Mountains to the waters off the East Coast of Africa. He concurrently serves as Commander, Defense Force West and provides Coast Guard mission support to the Department of Defense and Combatant Commanders.
Prior to this, he served as the Deputy Commandant for Operations where he was responsible for developing operational strategy, policy, guidance, and resources that address national priorities. From 2014 - 2015 he served in the Great Lakes as the Ninth Coast Guard District Commander, an area that encompasses eight states, a 1,500 mile international border, and a workforce of over 6,000 active duty, reserve, civilian, and auxiliary members. From 2011 - 2013, he served as the Senior Military Advisor to the Secretary of Homeland Security where he supported the Secretary in the coordination and execution of policy and operations between the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense.
Vice Admiral Midgette has served afloat on both coasts and the Great Lakes, earning designation as a Coast Guard Cutterman and a U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer. He has commanded four Coast Guard cutters and served afloat on the CGC TANEY (Portsmouth, VA); USS FIFE (San Diego, CA); CGC POINT LEDGE (Fort Bragg, CA); CGC POINT WINSLOW (Eureka & Morro Bay, CA); CGC KATMAI BAY (Sault Ste. Marie, MI); CGC HARRIET LANE (Portsmouth, VA); CGC FORWARD (Portsmouth, VA); and America’s Tall Ship - the Coast Guard Barque EAGLE (New London, CT). He is the 14th Gold Ancient Mariner of the Coast Guard – an honorary position held by an officer with over ten years of cumulative sea duty who has held the qualification as a Cutterman longer than any other officer.
His shoreside assignments include: Chief of Staff of the Ninth Coast Guard District; Sector Commander and Captain of the Port of Detroit; Liaison Officer to U.S. Northern Command; Executive Assistant to the Assistant Commandant for Operations at Coast Guard Headquarters; Liaison Officer to the legacy U.S. Customs Service; and at the Pentagon on the Joint Staff (J-7). He also served as the afloat member of the training and streamlining implementation teams that were tasked with a budget-driven reorganization of operations, personnel, and support functions across the entire Coast Guard in the mid-1990s.
A native of Virginia Beach, VA, he holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering (U.S. Coast Guard Academy ‘82), a M.S. in Management (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ‘91), and a M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies (U.S. Naval War College ‘97).