Base Seattle Command
Commanding Officer
Captain Ryan Murphy currently serves as the Commanding Officer of U.S. Coast Guard Base Seattle. In this role he is responsible for providing a wide variety of mission support services in direct support of operations throughout the Thirteenth Coast Guard District.
Originally from Talent, Oregon, Captain Murphy graduated and received his commission from the United States Coast Guard Academy in 2001 where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. Upon graduation he reported to his first assignment on Coast Guard Cutter MUNRO, a 378’ High Endurance Cutter homeported in Alameda, California. His next assignment took him to Civil Engineering Unit Oakland, serving in the Design and Construction Branch providing infrastructure support to units throughout Districts Eleven and Thirteen. In 2008, Captain Murphy reported to the Integrated Support Command Honolulu as the Industrial Manager, providing civil and naval support across the Fourteenth District. Following his tour in Honolulu, in 2012 Captain Murphy reported to Civil Engineering Unit Miami as the Product Line Branch Chief responsible for strategic planning and lifecycle management of 3800 facility assets valued at over $3 billion. In 2016, Captain Murphy reported back to Civil Engineering Unit Oakland where he served as the units’ Executive Officer, managing the 85-member professional engineering and project execution team and overseeing the $32 million construction budget supporting Pacific Area. Following his tour at Civil Engineering Unit Oakland, in 2018 Captain Murphy was assigned as the Base Alameda Facilities Engineer where he managed the largest Base housing inventory and building square footage in the Coast Guard. In 2022, Captain Murphy was again assigned to Civil Engineering Unit Oakland, this time detached duty in Seattle, Washington, where he currently serves as the Program Manager for both the Coast Guard’s Safe Homes Initiative and the Base Seattle Cutter Homeporting & Facility Modernization.
Captain Murphy attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for post graduate studies in 2004 where he earned a Master of Science in Civil Engineering. He also earned a Master of Business Administration from American Military University in 2008. Captain Murphy is a licensed Professional Engineer, Project Management Professional, and Certified Energy Manager.
Executive Officer
Captain Kenneth Burgess serves as Executive Officer, Coast Guard Base Seattle, providing a variety of mission support services in the Thirteenth Coast Guard District, including: administration and personnel management, medical and dental care, work-life support, procurement, supply, housing, facilities maintenance, naval engineering, computer and electronics support, and morale and recreational services.
Captain Burgess graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Naval Engineering. Following his tour as a Student Engineer aboard CGC MELLON (2003-2005) he attended graduate school at the University of Michigan earning degrees in Concurrent Marine Design and Industrial and Operations Engineering (2007). He began his mission support career at Maintenance and Logistics Command Pacific (MLCPAC) supporting the Heavy Icebreaker fleet and spent a year as Aide to the MLCPAC Commander during the standup of FORCECOM and establishment of the Deputy Pacific Area Commander position. After serving as aide he transitioned back to the newly established Surface Forces Logistics Center Long Range Enforcer Product Line arranging depot level maintenance for the High Endurance cutter fleet and earned another tour on MELLON as Engineer Officer (2011-2013). From July 2013 to 2016 he served as the Base Los Angeles Long Beach Executive Officer. Following that tour he acted as lead Contracting Officer’s Representative and head of a Port Engineer cell of the Resident Inspection Office in Seattle, WA from 2016-2019 responsible for oversight of the WMSL Structural Enhancement Dry-Dock Availability completing unprecedented structural modifications to the first two hulls necessary to restore the assets lifecycle fatigue limit. His last afloat position was as the final Executive Officer of CGC JOHN MIDGETT (WHEC 726) where he decommissioned the cutter after 48 years of service before assuming the duties of Naval Engineering Department Head at Base Seattle. Most recently he fleeted up to the Base Executive Officer role in August of 2023.
CAPT Burgess is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). From 2007-2011 he served as Vice Chair of the American Society for Naval Engineering Golden Gate Section. In 2010 he earned the honors of Coast Guard Elite Athlete for his participation in the Armed Forces Marathon and Cross Country teams, his work coaching youth runners, and his organization of Coast Guard participation in several local team competitions. Captain Burgess’ personal awards include the CG Commendation Medal and CG Achievement Medal.
Command Master Chief
Master Chief Boatswain's Mate Jesse Duff enlisted in the United States Coast Guard in September of 2000 out of Guernsey County, Ohio. He is married to Kala and has 2 daughters, Kaliana and Kiralyn.
As Command Master Chief for BASE Seattle, he advises the Commanding Officer on all issues, policies, and initiatives pertaining to mission support services for Coast Guard operations, members and families throughout the BASE’s Pacific Northwest area of responsibility. He assumed the duties of Command Senior Enlisted Leader for BASE Seattle in June of 2022 after serving as Command Master Chief for Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound in Connecticut.
Upon graduation from Training Center Cape May, NJ, he reported to Lifeboat Station Cape Disappointment in Ilwaco, WA. He advanced to Boatswain's Mate First Class here and attained Coxswain certifications on the 23'UTL, 26'RHIB, 25'RBS, 47'MLB, and 52'SPC-HWX.
His other assignments include: Lifeboat Station Noyo River in Fort Bragg, CA; Deck Watch Officer and Pursuit Coxswain onboard USCGC SHERMAN out of Alameda, CA; Operations Petty Officer and Executive Petty Officer onboard USCGC TERN; Executive Petty Officer at Station Channel Islands Harbor, at the time the Coast Guard’s only station with designations as both Heavy Weather and Pursuit; and School Chief of the Coast Guard’s Non-Compliant Vessel Pursuit School located at the Maritime Law Enforcement Academy in Charleston, SC.
He is a proud graduate of Command Afloat and Boat Forces Command Cadre Ashore courses, as well as the Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Academy, Air Force Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, and the Coast Guard Senior Enlisted Leadership Course.
Master Chief Duff’s awards include Coast Guard Commendation Medals, Coast Guard Achievement Medals, a Commandant’s Letter of Commendation Ribbon, and a Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, as well as various other personal, team, and unit awards.