COMMANDER
Rear Adm. David C. Barata
Commander
Eighth Coast Guard District
Rear Admiral David Barata serves as the Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District and is responsible for Coast Guard operations spanning 26 states, including the Gulf of Mexico coastline from the Florida panhandle to the U.S. border with Mexico, the adjacent offshore waters and outer continental shelf, and the inland waterways of the Mississippi, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois and Tennessee River systems.
His previous Flag assignment was as the Commander, Personnel Service Center, in Washington, DC. In this capacity, he was responsible for executing the Coast Guard’s human resource policies by recruiting, accessing, assigning, developing careers, maintaining well-being, compensating, separating and retiring the nearly 45,000 members of the active duty and reserve workforces.
His previous staff assignments include Chief, Office of Budget and Programs (CG-82); Director of Inspections and Compliance (CG-5PC); Deputy Director, Marine Transportation Systems (CG-5PW); AC&I Budget Coordinator and Program Reviewer in the Office of Budget and Programs (CG-821); and Senior Marine Safety/Prevention Assignments Officer at CG Personnel Command (CGPC OPM-2).
His field assignments include Commanding Officer of Activities Europe, as well as tours at Sector Jacksonville, Marine Safety Office Providence and Marine Safety Office Miami where he served for over 13 years in various capacities conducting marine safety, OCMI/COTP, prevention and incident response/emergency management missions. He also served as the plankowner Executive Officer of Maritime Safety and Security Team Boston (MSST 91110) and as Deck Watch Officer aboard USCGC SENECA (WMEC 906).
He is a 1993 graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Management. RDML Barata earned a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College in Newport, RI, in 2014 and served as Senior Military Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) in Washington, DC, from 2014-2015.
His personal awards include the Legion of Merit (3), the Meritorious Service Medal (4), the Coast Guard Commendation Medal (2), the 9/11 Medal, the Armed Forces Service Medal and the Coast Guard Achievement Medal. He was selected as the Navy League Southeastern MA/RI Junior Officer of the Year in 2001. He is a native of Jacksonville, Florida. He and his wife, Barbara have three children, James, Caroline and Annie.