Chief Brigitta Bockhorn
Officer in Charge
U.S. Coast Guard Station Niagara
Chief Brigitta Bockhorn currently serves as the Officer in Charge at Coast Guard Station Niagara. A Florida native, she enlisted in the Coast Guard in 2011 out of Ohio and has spent much of her career serving along the East Coast. Following boot camp, her first assignment was at Station Charleston, South Carolina, where she struck Boatswain’s Mate and departed as a Seaman BM with orders to Station Cortez, Florida—just 20 minutes from her hometown. There, she advanced to Second Class Petty Officer before receiving orders to Patrol Forces Southwest Asia aboard CGC MONOMOY, operating out of Manama, Bahrain. After a year overseas, she transferred to Aids to Navigation Team Boston, Massachusetts, where she quickly advanced and was selected for her first command role as Executive Petty Officer aboard CGC SHEARWATER in 2020. She decommissioned the cutter in early 2021 and assumed the same role aboard CGC BONITO, moored just feet away. In the summer of 2023, after earning both Officer in Charge Afloat and Ashore qualifications, she departed the Patrol Boat community and assumed command of Coast Guard Station Yankeetown in Florida. Her distinguished career of diverse assignments and proven leadership led to her current command at Station Niagara, where she continues to embody the highest standards of the Boatswain’s Mate rating.
BMC Bockhorn’s personal awards include the Commendation Medal, four Achievement Medals, two Commandant’s Letter of Commendation, Advanced Boat Forces Insignia, Coxswain Insignia, and various service awards.
Chief Bockhorn graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with her Bachelor’s Degree in Forensic Psychology in May of 2020. She has been married to Cody Bockhorn for three years and they have a dog named Gandalf. She plans to attend night classes to earn her Juris Doctorate once she can do so. In her off time, she enjoys reading, cooking, crafting, and paddleboarding.