Captain Simmons reports to Sector Guam from the Office of Budget and Programs at Coast Guard Headquarters, having served two years as the Coast Guard’s Procurement, Construction and Improvements Budget Coordinator.  In this capacity, he coordinated capital investment in strategic Coast Guard priorities, assisting in formulation of the Fiscal Year 2020-2023 budgets, which included enactment of the largest budget in Coast Guard history.

A career cutterman, Captain Simmons accumulated more than ten years of sea time on five ships, including: Deck Watch Officer and Assistant Navigator on CGC DILIGENCE (WMEC 616) in Wilmington, North Carolina; Operations Officer on CGC FORWARD (WMEC 911) in Portsmouth, Virginia; Commanding Officer on CGC WASHINGTON (WBP 1331) in Apra Harbor, Guam; Executive Officer on CGC LEGARE (WMEC 912) in Portsmouth, Virginia; and Commanding Officer on CGC TAMPA (WMEC 902) in Portsmouth, Virginia.  During those tours, Captain Simmons conducted missions from drug and migrant interdiction to search and rescue in areas including the Northern Atlantic Ocean, Eastern Pacific Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Philippine Sea. 

Captain Simmons’ staff tours focused on intelligence and special assignments, with service as a strategic intelligence analysts at the Coast Guard Intelligence Coordination Center in Suitland, Maryland, and as a Counterintelligence Agent at Coast Guard Atlantic Area.  He also spent two years as the Deputy Military Aide to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

Captain Simmons holds a Master’s Degree in Strategic Intelligence from the Joint Military Intelligence College and a Bachelor’s Degree in Government, with high honors, from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.  He further completed the U.S. Air Force Joint Professional Military Education Phase 1, and is a graduate of the Defense Counterintelligence Agent’s Course.

Captain Simmons’ awards include six Meritorious Service Medals with Operational Distinguishing Device, three Coast Guard Commendation Medals with Operational Distinguishing Device, and various other personal and unit awards.

Commander Gregory S. Sickels
Deputy Sector Commander

Commander Greg Sickels serves as the Deputy Sector Commander for U.S. Coast Guard Sector Guam. Commander Sickels is the principle advisor to the Sector Commander and his alternate in performing a wide-range of federal authorizations including Captain of the Port, Federal Maritime Security Coordinator, Federal On-Scene Coordinator, Officer-in-Charge of Maritime Inspections, and Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator with an area of responsibility of 1.9 million square nautical miles that encompasses Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Republic of Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia.

Commander Sickels has functioned in a diversity of other operational and staff assignments throughout his career, including Health, Safety and Work Life Regional Practice Manager at Base National Capital Region stationed in Washington, D.C., Executive Officer of Maritime Safety and Security Team New Orleans stationed in Belle Chasse, Louisiana; Tactical Operations Section Chief at Special Missions Training Center stationed in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; Officer in Charge of Law Enforcement Detachment 402 at Tactical Law Enforcement Team South in Opa Locka, Florida; and as a Deck Watch Officer on USCGC JARVIS stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Originally from Fort Myers Beach, Florida, Commander Sickels graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Management in 2005. In 2018, he earned Master of Business Administration and Master of Health Care Administration degrees from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Commander Sickels also earned Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification from the US Army Office of Business Transformation, completed the U.S. Air Force Joint Professional Military Education Phase 1 and is a two-time White House Fellow Finalist.

Commander Sickels’ military awards include four Coast Guard Commendation Medals, two Humanitarian Service Medals, and various other personal, team and campaign awards.

Master Chief Jeremy V. Thomas
Command Master Chief

Master Chief Jeremy V. Thomas took up his role as Command Master Chief for U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam in July 2023.

In this pivotal position, he serves as the principal senior enlisted advisor to the Commander, providing vital counsel on workforce policies, mentoring enlisted personnel, and facilitating critical administrative actions and initiatives. He is crucial in overseeing the Service's largest and most remote sector area of responsibility.

Hailing from Ontario, California, Master Chief Thomas enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard in 1997. Over his distinguished career, he has demonstrated versatility and leadership in various roles beyond his primary specialization as a Marine Science Technician.

His diverse service record includes assignments at multiple sectors and marine safety units, leading response teams at the Pacific Strike Team in Novato, California, guiding operations at Maritime Safety and Security Team Los Angeles/Long Beach (91103), and overseeing critical response coordination at the National Response Center and Coast Guard Command Center in Washington, D.C. These roles have seen him engage in multifaceted law enforcement missions, respond to global emergencies, manage nationwide pollution incidents, and refine a leadership style marked by adaptability and foresight.
 
The Service recognizes Master Chief Thomas's dedication and excellence through numerous accolades, including eight U.S. Coast Guard Commendation Medals with operational distinguishing devices and three U.S. Coast Guard Achievement Medals. He is also a recipient of the Spirit of the Chief Award from the 2015 Chief Petty Officers Academy, honoring his embodiment of collaborative leadership, and the Alexander Palmer Haley Academic Excellence Award from the 2022 Command Senior Enlisted Leadership Course.

Beyond his professional achievements, Master Chief Thomas anchors his personal life on his family. He and his wife, Mandy, are proud parents to Hailey, Hannah, Amelia, and Grayson. The family celebrated their daughter Hannah's recent enlistment in the U.S. Coast Guard, continuing a legacy of dedicated service.

Master Chief Thomas's career is characterized by his professional accomplishments and commitment to leadership, mentorship, and family values, making him a respected and integral part of the U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam.
 

Printable Bio | Photo