MSU VALDEZ COMMAND
COMMANDING OFFICER
Commander Patrick Drayer
Commander Patrick Drayer reported to Marine Safety Unit Valdez from Marine Safety Unit Duluth, MN where he served as Executive Officer. As Executive Officer, Commander Drayer was responsible for the safety, security, and environmental protection on Western Lake Superior, an area spanning three states and 700 miles of international border with Canada. In his role as alternate Captain of the Port and Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection, Commander Drayer worked closely with federal, state, local law and tribal enforcement, environmental response, and emergency management agencies in preparedness, prevention, and response efforts to protect the free flow of commerce at the head of the Great Lakes Marine Transportation System. Prior to this assignment, Commander Drayer served as the Passenger Vessel Safety Specialist for the Thirteenth Coast Guard District in Seattle, WA, where he coordinated the Mass Rescue Operations program in the Pacific Northwest. Additionally, he served as the District Manager for all the marine casualty investigations and enforcement programs within the District.
Commander Drayer enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1993. He served shore assignments at Support Elizabeth City and Station Michigan City. Afloat assignments as a Quartermaster include CGC IRONWOOD (WLB-297) while active duty and CGC ACACIA (WLB-406) as an active reservist. He was commissioned in 2003 through the Maritime Academy Reserve Training Program and returned to active duty. As a Prevention Officer, Commander Drayer served at the National Maritime Center, Sector Miami, Sector Sault Sainte Marie, and Sector Juneau.
Originally hailing from Columbus, OH, Commander Drayer is a graduate of the Great Lakes Maritime Academy and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Ferris State University.
EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Lieutenant Commander Bryson Jacobs
Hailing from Wildomar, CA, Lieutenant Commander Jacobs graduated with high honors from the U. S. Coast Guard Academy in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and from the University of Maryland in 2011 with a Master of Science in Fire Protection Engineering. His past assignments include being a student engineer aboard CGC HEALY (WAGB-20), a machinery plan review engineer at the Marine Safety Center in Washington, DC, and a marine inspector and port state control supervisor for Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach. Most recently, he served as an instructor of mechanical engineering at the U. S. Coast Guard Academy where he specialized in teaching prospective officers the principles of Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer, Basic Naval Architecture, Vessel Stability, and Maritime Systems.
Lieutenant Commander Jacobs is a licensed professional engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia and holds patents for designs of medical ventilation units intended for inexpensive rapid fabrication and distribution in the event of a respiratory disease pandemic.
His personal awards include three Coast Guard Commendation Medals, a Commandant’s Letter of Commendation Ribbon, four Arctic Service Medals, and the 2007 Coast Guard Academy McAllister Award.
An avid outdoors enthusiast along with his wife, Rebecca, and two young daughters, Theora and Talise, he and his family can often be found finding ways to explore and enjoy the spectacular scenery, topography, and natural fruits of Valdez and Thompson Pass.