Sudbury Native Retires from the Coast Guard

(EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is a press release from the United States Coast Guard.)

A native of Sudbury, Mass., returned from an extended tour of duty in New Orleans, Sunday, where he served as the deputy incident commander of the Gulf Coast Incident Management Team for the Deepwater Horizon spill response.

Cmdr. Daniel P. Precourt, a reservist with Coast Guard Sector Mobile, Ala., was called to active duty in Sept. 2011 and remained on active status for 10 months.  As the Deputy Incident Commander of GCIMT, his responsibilities included ensuring that the staffing required to complete all activities were adequate and in accordance with the Shoreline Clean-up Completion Plan.  He also ensured effective communications between the Federal on Scene Coordinator, BP, State On-Scene Coordinators and federal trustees.

A 1990 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy, Precourt’s first assignment was the Cutter Woodrush, where he served as a deck watch officer.  From there, he was given his first command as the commanding officer of the Cutter Cuttyhunk, where he participated in search-and-rescue operations and law enforcement activities.  Precourt has also served at the Vessel Traffic Service in Puget Sound, Wash., as a commanding officer aboard the Cutter Red Wood and as the assistant school chief at the Leadership Development Center at the Coast Guard Academy.

Precourt then transitioned from the active duty to the reserves and took a position as a Reserve Staff Instructor teaching navigation at the Coast Guard Academy.  Precourt’s last assignment, prior to the Deepwater Horizon Response, was as the Senior Reserve Officer at Sector Boston where he oversaw the professional development and mobilization readiness for 165 reservists.

“As the relief for Cmdr. Precourt, I know I have big shoes to fill," said Lt. Cmdr. Coleman. "I am confident however that we will successfully complete the mission building upon the foundation put down by Cmdr. Precourt.  He has placed all Coast Guard personnel in position for success with the relationships and policies he has developed over the last 10 months.” 

Precourt’s awards include a Meritorious Service Medal, two Coast Guard Commendation Medals and 3 Coast Guard Achievements Medals, among many other personal, unit and campaign awards. He earned permanent cutterman status in 1998.

Precourt will be returning to the greater Boston area where he will be retiring after 22 years-of-service in the active duty and reserves.