Vice Admiral Michael McAllister
Commander, U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area
Michael F. McAllister was born in December 1964 in Somerville, Massachusetts. He is a graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy with a BS degree in civil engineering. He later earned a Master of Science in civil engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is a registered professional engineer. He also earned an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
He has served as the commander of the Coast Guard Seventeenth Division and was Deputy Commandant for Mission Support. Since June 2021, he has been commander of the Coast Guard Pacific Area and Delta Force.
He is married to Brigette.
In the News…
Vice Admiral Michael McAllister, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Pacific Area and Coast Guard Defense Force West said a new Chinese maritime law “seems to run directly counter to international agreements and norms.”
“If our reading is correct,” he said in a teleconference, “these are very concerning, and that’s because they begin to build foundations for instability and potential conflicts if those are enforced.”
China announced early last month that it now requires foreign vessels “to report their detailed information” in areas that are part of its territorial waters. The law would require notice for entry of non-Chinese vessels that includes submersibles, nuclear vessels, ships carrying radioactive materials, and ships carrying bulk oil, chemicals and liquified gas, and other toxic and harmful substances.
The extent of coverage of “territorial waters” was unclear, however, as China claims nearly the entire South China Sea as its territory through its nine-dash line fiction.
McAllister said the Coast Guard presence in the region was in part to show support to partners and allies facing China’s aggression and territorial expansion at sea.
“Half the world’s commerce and half the world’s population are in the Indo-Pacific, and as leaders in maritime safety and security, we believe we have a role to play,” he said. “And our chief role is to try to contribute to regional stability and security.”
