CAPT Andrew W. Eriks enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1984. His previous assignments include USCGC DAUNTLESS (Miami Beach, FL), Machinery Technician “A” School (Yorktown, VA), CG Station Neah Bay, WA, USCGC BASSWOOD (Guam), Naval Engineering Support Unit Seattle, and USCGC POLAR SEA (Seattle, WA). He also completed Navy 2nd Class Dive School in Panama City, FL and served as a Coast Guard diver throughout Guam/Micronesia, Philippines, North Atlantic, and Florida.
CAPT Eriks graduated from Officer Candidate School in 1994 at Yorktown, VA. He then reported directly to Naval Flight Training, Pensacola, FL where he earned his ‘Wings of Gold’ and later transitioned to the HH-60J helicopter.
From 1995-2000, he served at Air Station Clearwater, FL and deployed extensively to the Caribbean to combat drug smuggling in support of Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos. He attended the Army’s H-60 Maintenance Test Pilot Course at Fort Rucker, AL and was designated an Aeronautical Engineer in 2000. From 2000-2003, he served as the Assistant Engineering Officer at Air Station Astoria and qualified as an HH-60J Instructor Pilot and Flight Examiner.
From 2005-2009, CAPT Eriks served as HC-130H/J Production Cell Overhaul Leader at the Aviation Logistics Center in Elizabeth City, NC. He managed heavy, depot-level overhauls for 25 HC-130H/J aircraft and served as Project Officer for the Coast Guard’s first, organic HC-130 overhaul facility. CAPT Eriks also qualified as a Government Flight Representative responsible for contractor performance at three commercial fixed-wing overhaul facilities in the U.S. and Canada, was an Instructor Pilot in the MH-60J/T helicopter, and served as one of the original prototype testing and evaluation pilots for the MH-60T helicopter.
From 2009-2011, CAPT Eriks served as the Engineering Officer at Air Station Elizabeth City, NC and led the maintenance management of a fleet of four MH-60J/T helicopters and five HC-130J fixed-wing aircraft. He was instrumental in the operational introduction and transition to the Coast Guard’s newest helicopter, the MH-60T.
From 2011-2014, he served as Division Chief of the Budget Formulation and External Coordination Divisions, Office of Budget and Programs at Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, DC. He and his staff coordinated Congressional hearings, GAO/DHS Inspector audits, annual reports to Congress, and provided technical guidance to support the Coast Guard’s annual $10 billion budget requests.
From 2014-2016, CAPT Eriks served as the 40th Commanding Officer of Air Station/SFO Port Angeles.
In 2016, he returned to Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington DC, to work in the Acquisition Directorate (CG-9) as a Program Manager for the Coast Guard’s Financial Management Service Improvement Initiative. He led an extensive effort, in concert with DHS, to replace the Coast Guard’s legacy accounting systems with a new financial, procurement and asset management service.
CAPT Eriks has a Bachelor of Science degree in Professional Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a Master of Science degree in Industrial Administration from Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management. He also holds a DHS Level III Acquisition certification in Program Management. His military decorations include five Meritorious Service Medals, two Coast Guard Commendation Medals, three Coast Guard Achievement Medals, three Good Conduct Medals, and two National Defense Service Medals.
Commander O’Brien serves as Air Station Barber’s Point Executive Officer. Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii, is the Coast Guard aviation force provider for the Coast Guard’s 14th District, an AOR that covers over 12.2 M square miles including the Hawaiian Islands and South Pacific. The unit performs a variety of missions including search and rescue, law enforcement, defense readiness, and marine environmental response. Prior to assignment to Air Station Barbers Point Hawaii, Commander O’Brien served as the Senior Service Advisor and Monthly Executive Program Director at the National Intelligence University (NIU) where he mentored, led, and taught military and civilian students in NIU’s Joint Professional Military Education (JPME), Bachelor, and Masters degree granting programs.
Commander O’Brien’s previous operational assignments include Coast Guard Cutter CONFIDENCE, Air Station Los Angeles, Air Station New Orleans, Coast Guard Intelligence Coordination Center, and Air Station Port Angeles where he served as the Operations Officer. Commander O’Brien served at Air Station New Orleans during the unit’s historic response to Hurricanes Katrina, Dennis, Rita and Tropical Storm Cindy. During his tour in New Orleans Commander O’Brien earned the National Helicopter Association’s Region IV Aircrew of the Year award. Commander O’Brien also piloted the first rescue asset on scene for the Alaska 261 airline crash off Point Mugu, California. Commander O’Brien has flown over 3000 operational hours in the MH- 65 and previously qualified as an Instructor Pilot, Flight Examiner, and special mission airborne use of force. His personal awards include the Air Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Coast Guard Meritorious Service Medal, Coast Guard Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Coast Guard Achievement Medal and various team and unit awards. Commander O’Brien was also awarded the DHS Intelligence and Analysis Leadership Award.
Commander O’Brien is a 1996 graduate from the United States Coast Guard Academy where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Management. Commander O’Brien also holds a Masters in Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University and a Masters of Science in Strategic Intelligence from the National Defense Intelligence College. In 2013 he served as the Coast Guard’s Senior Service Fellow at the Center for Strategic Intelligence Research. Commander O’Brien graduated #1 out of 45 naval aviators at the Naval Postgraduate School Aviation Safety Officer course and earned the MK3 Scotchmer Award as the top graduate at Boarding Officer School at Training Center Yorktown.
Commander O'Brien comes to Air Station Barbers Point after serving as the Senior Service Advisor and Monthly Executive Program Director at the National Intelligence University (NIU).
Master Chief Ronny W. German assumed the duties as Command Master Chief, Air Station Barbers Point on June 2nd, 2017. His primary responsibility is to advise the Commanding Officer of Air Station Barbers Point, Captain Andrew W. Eriks, on all issues and initiatives pertaining to all Coast Guard members and their families within Air Station Barbers Point. Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii, is the Coast Guard aviation force provider for the Coast Guard’s 14th District, an Area Of Responsibility (AOR) that covers over 12.2 Million square miles including the Hawaiian Islands and South Pacific. The unit performs a variety of missions including search and rescue, law enforcement, defense readiness, and marine environmental response. Most recently Master Chief German served as the Command Master Chief for U.S. Coast Guard Sector Honolulu in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Master Chief German’s previous assignments include Sector Southeastern New England, as the Command Senior Chief, Sector San Diego, California as the Aviation Survival Shop Chief and MH-60J Rescue Swimmer. He previously served at Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii; Air Station Borinquen, Puerto Rico; and Air Station Brooklyn, New York as a duty HH-65A/B Rescue Swimmer. Master Chief German also served as a Deck Seaman and Scuba Diver aboard Coast Guard Cutter Basswood (WLB-388) home ported in Agana, Guam. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Master Chief German Enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1993 and graduated from boot camp company India-142.
Master Chief German is a proud graduate of the Coast Guard Chief Petty Officers Academy class CXXII, and the Coast Guard Senior Enlisted Leadership Course class 03-09. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Illinois University in Workforce Education and Development.