Capt. Peggy M. Britton assumed duties as deputy commander, Sector Virginia in June 2022, leading 1,200 Coast Guardsman and Auxiliary personnel, among three cutters, six small boat stations, three aids to navigation teams, and a Sector Field Office conducting all Coast Guard missions in Virginia waters and offshore. She oversees all Captain of the Port, Officer in Charge of Marine Inspection, Federal On Scene Coordinator, Federal Maritime Security Coordinator, and Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator authorities in the region.
Prior to her deputy assignment, Britton served as Executive Assistant for the DHS Joint Task Force- East, serving Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, and Homeland Security Investigations executive leadership. Her diverse operational assignments include response department head at Sector Virginia where she led over 300 search and rescue cases, a complex jet-fuel spill, and multiple port/hurricane events; Command Duty Officer at the Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Honolulu; and afloat tours in USCGC Elm (WLB 204), USCCG Kukui (WLB 203) as executive officer, and USCGC William Tate (WLM 560) as commanding officer. She holds a 100-ton Master Captain’s license. Additionally, she has extensive experience in international engagement as the Chief of International Resident Training at Training Center Yorktown, and team leader for the International Training Division deploying to more than 32 partner nations worldwide.
She was a Rhodes Scholarship state finalist in 1999 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Government from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 2000. She holds a Master of International Policy and Practice degree from George Washington University in 2012 and was a distinguished graduate from the Joint Advanced Warfighting School (JAWS) Joint Forces Staff College in 2020, earning a Master of Science degree in Joint Campaign Planning and Strategy. Her awards include two Meritorious Service Medals, four Commendation Medals, and the Captain Dorothy Stratton Inspirational Leadership award. In 2022, she participated as one of twelve NATO officers in the Peace with Women Fellowship as part of the Halifax International Security Forum.
Capt. Britton considers Poquoson, Virginia home. She is married to Mr. Shawn Britton, a NASA engineer, and they have three wonderful children.