Commanding Officer

Lieutenant Joseph D. Blinsky

Lieutenant Joseph D. Blinsky assumed command of USCGC JOSEPH GERCZAK on July 12, 2021.

Prior to reporting to the Aloha State, Lieutenant Blinsky served as the Commanding Officer of USCGC MAUI, a 110-foot patrol boat. Based out of Naval Support Activity Bahrain, MAUI executed missions in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman in support of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command strategic objectives.

A permanent Cutterman, Lieutenant Blinsky also served as the Commanding Officer of USCGC TERN, an 87-foot patrol boat homeported out of Yerba Buena Island in San Francisco, California. His other operational assignments include having served as the Operations Officer aboard MAUI and as a Deck Watch Officer on USCGC TAMPA, a 270-foot Medium Endurance Cutter homeported out of Portsmouth, Virginia. Ashore, he has served as the Acquisition Workforce Manager at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

A native of Youngstown, Ohio and graduate of Columbiana High School, Lieutenant Blinsky enlisted in the Coast Guard in 2008, completed Marion Military Institute's Service Academy Preparatory Program in 2009, and graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Government. 

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Executive Officer

Lieutenant Junior Grade Joseph R. Fox

Lieutenant Junior Grade Joseph R. Fox is originally from Indianapolis, Indiana and graduated from Ball State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Telecommunications in 2009 and graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with a Master’s of Science in Information Security in 2017.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Fox enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard in 2010 and was assigned to USCGC CHASE. A decommissioning crewmember, he then transferred to USCGC SHERMAN before attending Information Systems Technician “A” School in 2012. Advancing to IT1 prior to his  commission,  his  rated  tours  of  duty  include  Electronics Support Detachment Los  Angeles/Long  Beach,  Telephone  and  Information Systems Command (TISCOM), CG-Cyber, and TISCOM Cutter Connectivity.

Commissioned in 2018 under the Direct Commission Engineer program, he reported to the Navigation Center in Alexandria, Virginia. Lieutenant-Junior Grade Fox accepted a critical fill solicitation in 2019 as the Assistant Combat Systems Officer aboard USCGC KIMBALL where he was a part of the commissioning crew and took part in KIMBALL’s first operational patrols.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Fox assumed the duties of Executive Officer of USCGC JOSEPH GERCZAK in July 2021.

Bio (Printable) | Official Photo