Sector Commander
Captain of the Port of Honolulu
Captain Nicholas S. (Nick) Worst
Captain Nicholas S. Worst Commander, Sector Honolulu Captain of the Port United States Coast Guard Captain Nick Worst assumed command of Coast Guard Sector Honolulu in June 2025. He directs all Coast Guard missions across Sector Honolulu's 1.4 million square nautical mile area of responsibility in the Pacific. Leading a team of over 400 personnel, including active duty, reserve, civilian, and auxiliary members, Captain Worst manages three Fast Response Cutters, three Small Boat Stations, and an Aids to Navigation Team. His oversight extends to three Marine Safety Teams across Kauai, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawai'i, as well as Marine Safety Unit American Samoa.
Prior to command of Sector Honolulu, Captain Worst served as the inaugural Coast Guard liaison to U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM), fostering collaboration between the Coast Guard and USSPACECOM to enhance national security. He also served as Response Department Head at Sector Honolulu, orchestrating search and rescue and law enforcement operations. coordinating interagency responses across the same vast area he now commands.
A 2002 graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Captain Worst's career includes diverse operational and staff assignments. His early sea duty was aboard USCGC THETIS. He later served as a duty officer at Pacific Area/District 11 Command Cen ter, Operations Officer at Maritime Safety and Security Team Kings Bay, and Military Aide to the Deputy National Incident Commander for the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Ashore, he served as Chief of Promotions, Chief of the Incident Management Division at Sector Honolulu, and held key positions within the Department of Home land Security, serving as Military Assistant to both the Deputy Secretary and the Secretary.
Captain Worst's academic credentials include a Bachelor of Science in Management from the Coast Guard Academy, a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, and a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from the National Defense University's Eisenhower School. He is also a graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School's Center for Homeland Defense and Security Executive Leaders Program.
His personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, two Meritorious Service Medals with "O" device, five Coast Guard Commendation Medals with "O" device, and numerous other awards. He has also earned the Department of Homeland Security Secretary's Service Badge, the Advanced Boat Forces Operations Insignia, and the Response Operations Ashore Insignia.
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Deputy Commander
Commander Jeffrey K. (Jeff) Padilla
CDR Jeff Padilla, originally born and raised in Albuquerque, NM, graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 2005 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. CDR Padilla currently serves as the Deputy Sector Commander of Sector Honolulu. His interests include family games, music, and the outdoors.
CDR Padilla has previously served at three sectors, twice at District Eleven staff, and once at Coast Guard Headquarters. Assigned first to Group Mayport, he became a plank owner of Sector Jacksonville within the Sector Boarding Team and started a career in Operations Ashore Response, also earning a Master of Business Administration online through the University of Phoenix. Serving within the Command Centers at Sector Jacksonville and at his next tour at District Eleven, he gained tremendous experience as a Command Duty Officer, Search and Rescue Controller, and Law Enforcement Duty Officer. While in North Carolina, Jeff earned qualifications including Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator, Advanced Boat Forces Insignia, and the Marine Safety Specialist Insignia. At Coast Guard Headquarters within the Office of Counterterrorism and Defense Operations, Jeff completed the Navy War College Command and Staff diploma while serving the Joint Chiefs of Staff as the Coast Guard Joint Actions Control Office, later transitioning to a role as a strategic planner within the Global Force Management Division and greatly advanced the Coast Guard's defense readiness at the height of international tensions with North Korea. Moving back across the mainland, Jeff assumed the role of Joint Harbor Operations Center Chief for Sector Puget Sound, guiding the Service through a major Search and Rescue Case Study involving mariners ejected from their boat in Deception Pass and later recovered off of North Whidbey Island, Washington. Returning to the Bay Area as the Deputy Enforcement Branch Chief for District Eleven, he established novel joint operations within the Eastern Pacific, most notably Operations Southern Shield to counter malign state influence by distant water fishing fleets in the Eastern Pacific and Operation Border Trident, which significantly hardened border control and territorial integrity along the U.S. Southern Border with Mexico. His personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, four Coast Guard Commendation Medals, the Coast Guard Achievement Medal, and two Commandant's Letters of Commendation.
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Command Master Chief
Master Chief Petty Officer Jessica Montero
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