Sally Brice-O’Hara

After serving for 35 years in the United States Coast Guard, Vice Adm. Sally Brice-O’Hara was sworn in as the 27 Vice Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard on May 24, 2010. During her two-year tenure in this role, she served as the Coast Guard second-in-command, executing the commandant's strategic intent, managing internal organization governance and serving as the component acquisition executive.

Before becoming Vice Commandant, Vice Adm. Brice-O’Hara held several other flag level positions including Deputy Commandant for Operations, Commander of the Fourteenth Coast Guard District, Director of Reserve and Training, Commander of the Fifth Coast Guard District and Director of Personnel Management. In these positions, her assignments varied widely, from managing operations for over 12 million square miles of the Central Pacific Ocean to developing policies to recruit, train, allocate and support Coast Guard Ready Reservists.

At the time of her selection to flag rank, Vice Adm. Brice-O’Hara was the Commanding Officer of Training Center Cape May, the Coast Guard's only recruit training program. Before that, she held several other notable positions at stations across the country and at the Coast Guard Academy.

A native of Annapolis, Maryland, she graduated from Goucher College in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology, and she received her Coast Guard commission from Officer Candidate School the following year. She holds a Master of Science degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College and a Master of Arts degree in Public Administration from John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where she was named a Littauer Fellow.

Vice Adm. Brice-O’Hara's personal awards include the Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal, a Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal, five Legions of Merit, a Meritorious Service Medal, six Coast Guard Commendation Medals, two Coast Guard Achievement Medals and the Commandant’s Letter of Commendation.