Air Station Barbers Point

Captain James Heller is a U.S. Coast Guard Officer with 22 years of experience in operational and staff positions. He is 2004 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy. He began his career serving aboard the Cutters Mellon and Zephyr as a Deck Watch Officer and Law Enforcement Boarding Officer.

In 2008, he completed Naval Flight training and has since served as an Aircraft Commander and Instructor Pilot/Flight Examiner in both the HU-25 Guardian and the HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft at Air Station Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Air Station Miami, Florida and the Aviation Training Center in Mobile, Alabama.

He is also a certified FAA Airline Transport Pilot. His staff assignments include serving as Chief of Staff to the Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Homeland Security as well as serving in CG-82 and DCO-82 becoming a Certified Defense Financial Manager.

Captain Heller holds a bachelor’s degree in Government from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, a certificate in Security Studies from the Naval War College, a master of science degree in Public Administration along with a Certificate in Security Studies from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, and a master’s degree in Strategic Security Studies with a focus on Irregular Warfare from National Defense University.

He and his wife have six children aged 20, 12, 10, 8, 5, and 3. In his free time, he enjoys traveling with his family, and spending time on their New England farm. Captain Heller is also an Eagle Scout.    

CDR Barker proudly serves as the Executive Officer having most recently served as a Federal Executive Fellow at the Brookings Institution. He also recently served as an Officer Personnel Management (OPM) Branch Chief where he was responsible for all O-5 and below officer assignments. He also oversaw officer selection panels that included command screening, cyber specialty selection, and flight training selection.

His previous assignments include Aviation Assignment Officer at OPM, Assistant Operations Officer at Air Station Barbers Point, MH-65 Instructor Pilot and Flight Examiner at the Coast Guard’s Aviation Training Center, Aircraft Commander at Air Station Corpus Christi, and Deck Watch Officer aboard the Coast Guard Cutter LEGARE.

A 2006 graduate from the Coast Guard Academy with a B.S. in Government, he finished Naval Flight Training in 2010 and received his master’s degree in Executive Leadership from Liberty University in 2016. He completed Joint Professional Military Education through Air University in 2018 and is an alumni of the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies where he was a member of the inaugural Advanced Maritime Security Cooperation course with over 90 international Fellows.

CDR Barker’s military awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, two Commendation Medals, the Humanitarian Service Medal, and the Coast Guard Achievement Medal. He was selected in 2017 as the Fleet-Wide Instructor Pilot of the Year across all airframes.