Sector Commander

Captain of the Port of Honolulu

Captain Aja L. Kirksey

Captain Aja Kirksey assumed Command of Sector Honolulu in June 2022, and directs all Coast Guard missions in Sector Honolulu’s area of responsibility, a broad expanse of the Pacific that includes 1.4 million square nautical miles of ocean.

To cover this vast and challenging area, she manages over 400 members assigned to Sector Honolulu, including 266 Active Duty and 69 Reserve Component members, 14 Civilian Employees, and 60 Auxiliarists, along with three Fast Response Cutters, three Small Boat Stations, and one Aids to Navigation Team. Additionally, she oversees three Marine Safety Teams located on Kaua’i, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawai’i as well as Marine Safety Detachment American Samoa.

Prior to joining Sector Honolulu as Deputy Sector Commander in 2021, CAPT Kirksey was Chief of the Enlisted Panels, Advancements, & Separations Branch within the Enlisted Personnel Management Division of the Coast Guard Personnel Service Center.

Her operational assignments include serving as the Enforcement Division Chief for Sector San Diego, where she oversaw all Coast Guard law enforcement operations for the greater San Diego area. She also served at Sector Hampton Roads as the Command Center Supervisor, responsible for a crew executing over 1,000 cases per year to include search and rescue, law enforcement, and environmental protection missions in Virginia and coastal Maryland, and at Sector San Francisco, where she served on the Contingency Planning staff and as Assistant Chief of the Incident Management Division.  During this tour, she also served as Deputy Operations Section Chief for the M/V COSCO BUSAN pollution response.  In this capacity, she managed over 1,500 response personnel and 40 surface assets during one of the most effective open water oil spill clean-up operations in Coast Guard history.  Captain Kirksey’s first operational assignment was as an Engineer Officer in Training aboard the USCGC JARVIS (WHEC 721), homeported in Honolulu, Hawaii. 

Her previous staff assignments include serving as the Task Force Representative to Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands at Joint Interagency Task Force West (JIATF West). A standing Joint Task Force, JIATF West is the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command's executive agent for planning and conducting counter-drug strategy in an area of operations covering over 105 million square miles. She served in the Military Advisor's Office component of the Department of Homeland Security, as the Executive Assistant to the Military Advisor to the Secretary.  She also served as the Assistant Gender Policy Advisor in the Office of Leadership and Diversity, Coast Guard Headquarters.

Captain Kirksey hails from New Iberia, Louisiana.  She holds a Master of Quality Systems Management from the National Graduate School at New England Institute of Business and she is a 2001 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Marine Environmental Sciences. 

Captain Kirksey's personal awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, six Coast Guard Commendation Medals, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Corps Achievement Medal, the Marine Safety Insignia, the Boat Force Operations Pewter Insignia, and the Department of Homeland Security Secretary's Service Badge.

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Deputy Commander

Commander Kyra M. Dykeman

Commander Kyra Dykeman assumed the duties as Sector Honolulu Deputy Sector Commander in June 2022. As Deputy Commander, she manages over 400 members and is responsible for all U.S. Coast Guard missions in Sector Honolulu’s area of responsibility, 1.4 million square nautical miles of ocean. Prior to her current position, she was the Executive Assistant to the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area, Deputy Commander (PAC-09). As such, she was the primary advisor to PAC-09; responsible for coordinating across the Pacific Area staff and units along with national and international groups to establish and provide operational strategy, policy, capabilities and resources to meet national priorities for U.S. Coast Guard missions, programs and services throughout the Pacific Area.

From 2018 to 2021, Commander Dykeman served as the Chief, Investigations Division for U.S. Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach. As such, she oversaw all marine casualty, credentialed mariner and violations of law and regulation investigations in the Sector’s area of responsibility in order to promote safety, protect the environment, and prevent future accidents.

From 2016 to 2018, Commander Dykeman served as an Investigating Officer at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Maryland - National Capital Region, while also the Sector’s Leadership and Diversity Advisory Council Chair promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the unit and throughout the service.

Prior to this, Commander Dykeman served as a financial analyst in the U.S. Coast Guard’s Mission Support Organization. She was responsible for budget formulation, analysis, distribution and execution of $2.3B in appropriated funds. Additionally, she directed over 40 U.S. Coast Guard program and unit budget officers in the execution of reimbursable agreements with other government agencies, current year funds, and development of out-year budgets.

Commander Dykeman’s first assignment was as a Marine Inspector at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Miami. While at Sector Miami she served as a Port State Control Team Leader and then as Assistant Chief of U.S. Vessel Inspections.

Commander Dykeman is a 2007 graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. In 2012, she graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Masters of Business Administration. Further, she obtained her Certified Government Financial Manager credential in 2014. In 2021, Commander Dykeman was awarded the CAPT John G. Witherspoon Inspirational Leadership Award and the CAPT Dorothy Stratton Leadership Award.
 

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Command Master Chief

Master Chief Petty Officer Michael E. Winiarski

Master Chief Michael Winiarski assumed the duties and responsibilities as the Command Master Chief of Coast Guard Sector Honolulu in June 2021. Most recently, he was the Officer-in-Charge of the CGC BONITO, which then shifted hulls to the CGC KINGFISHER out of Montauk, New York.

Master Chief Winiarski’s previous assignments are as follows:

​​​​​​​Officer-in-Charge for Station Kauai, Hawaii;

Officer-in-Charge, CGC BRIDLE, home ported in Southwest Harbor, ME;

Executive Petty Officer, Coast Guard Station New Haven, Connecticut;

Executive Petty Officer, CGC ADELIE home ported in Port Angeles, Washington;

CGC BAINBRIDGE ISLAND home ported in Sandy Hook, New Jersey;

Coast Guard Station Eatons Neck, New York;

CGC VIGOROUS home ported in Cape May, New Jersey.  

Master Chief Winiarski holds a Merchant Mariner License and a Bachelor of Science from Excelsior College. He is a graduate of the Chief Petty Officers Academy Class 193 and Senior Enlisted Leadership Course (SELC).  

Originally from Middletown, New Jersey, Master Chief Winiarski enlisted in the United States Coast Guard in February 2001. His personnel awards include six Coast Guard Commendation Medals with "O" device, the Coast Guard Achievement Award with "O" device, a Coast Guard Letter of Commendation with "O" device, and six Coast Guard Good Conduct Award. In addition to various other personal and unit level awards, he wears the Officer-in-Charge Afloat and Ashore devices for Multi-Mission, the Permanent Cutterman, Coxswain Insignia, and Boat Forces Operations advanced qualifications insignia. 

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