Rear Admiral Bruce D. Baffer

Rear Admiral Baffer currently serves as the U.S. Coast Guard’s Assistant Commandant for Acquisitions and Chief Acquisition Officer (CAO). As CAO, he directs efforts across all Coast Guard Acquisition programs, acquisition support, personnel, finance, contracting, and research and development activities to execute the service’s acquisition portfolio. In his previous assignment as Program Executive Officer (PEO), he oversaw the execution of all Coast Guard acquisition programs and projects, which provide the modernization and recapitalization of surface, air, command and control, and logistics assets. Rear Admiral Baffer has served in a variety of engineering, acquisition and operational tours, including Engineer Officer of Cutter THETIS, Executive Officer of Coast Guard Cutter JARVIS, Commanding Officer of Cutters THETIS and CHASE and as prospective Commanding Officer of the third National Security Cutter, STRATTON. A native of Newport News, Va., Rear Adm. Baffer graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1984. He holds a Master of Science degree in civil engineering from the University of Illinois, a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Massachusetts at Boston, a Master of Science degree in the management of technology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Master of Strategic Studies degree from the Marine Corps War College. He is a licensed professional engineer and a certified level III acquisition professional.