Commanding Officer, Base Charleston
Captain Eric Jones
Captain (CAPT) Eric Jones assumed the duties as Commanding Officer Base Charleston in June 2023 where he serves as the mission support touch point for all Coast Guard Operations throughout northern Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Base Charleston serves as the host command to numerous tenants and its sub-units and provides geographically distributed depot-level maintenance functions in Naval and Electronics Engineering; in addition to Logistics, Administrative, Financial, Procurement, and Health care services – Supporting People and Operations.
Most recently, CAPT Jones served as Surface Forces Logistic Center’s, Long Range Enforcer Product Line Manager where he directed comprehensive, fleet-wide life cycle support for all Hull, Mechanical & Electrical (HM&E), and Weapons Systems for a portfolio of National Security Cutters, POLAR STAR, HEALY, and ALEX HALEY engaged in high visibility missions around the world. He led a team of military, civilian, and contractors distributed throughout the continental US, AK, and HI generating global operational readiness. Prior to this assignment, CAPT Jones was in Senior Service School, serving as a Systems Design and Management Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA.
Previously, CAPT Jones served as the Executive Officer at Base Portsmouth, VA, where he led the delivery of all mission support activities (human capital, naval, civil, C4IT, medical, procurement) at the largest major cutter homeport in the Coast Guard. Additionally, he synchronized efforts to ensure support to over 100 operational units in the Mid-Atlantic region. Before this assignment, he served as the Executive Assistant to the Deputy Commandant for Mission Support (DCMS) at C.G. Headquarters, Wash D.C. where he provided executive decision support to DCMS through coordination of strategy, policy, resources, and outreach for all mission support activities carried out by the 15,000 member, $4B DCMS enterprise.
After graduating from Officer Candidate School in December 1998, CAPT Jones first assignment was aboard the USCGC COURAGEOUS (WMEC 622) in Panama City, FL, where he served as Damage Control Assistant and Assistant Engineer Officer. In 2001, he reported to Project Residence Office Marinette, WI, as the Mechanical Section Chief for the recently awarded Great Lakes Ice Breaker (MACKINAW) project. During this assignment, he had the unique opportunity to partner with the world-renowned ice-breaking experts in Scandinavia, where the Coast Guard procured it’s first-ever Azipod propulsion plant for a Coast Guard Cutter.
Following graduate school, CAPT Jones reported to Naval Engineering Support Unit Boston in 2006 as the ATON & Ice Breaking Section Chief and Port Engineer for the First Coast Guard District. Here he was responsible for preventive, corrective, and depot-level maintenance on 18 ATON and Ice-breaking cutters.
After honing his skills as a Port Engineer, CAPT Jones was assigned to USCGC MELLON (WHEC 717), Seattle, WA, as Chief Engineer in 2009. The highlight of this tour was a five-month deployment to Southeast Asia, where he was tasked with keeping an aging, complex plant operating under the most challenging conditions away from its typical support network. Afterward, CAPT Jones transferred to Sector Honolulu as the Logistics department head in July 2011. Here, he was responsible for all support functions enabling operations, including engineering, training, funding, readiness, and admin support.
CAPT Jones earned a Bachelor of Science from South Carolina State University. He has two Master of Science degrees, one from the George Washington University (Engineering Management), and the other from MIT (System Design and Management). Additionally, he has a Graduate Certificate in Technical Leadership from MIT.
CAPT Jones’s personal military awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (four), Coast Guard Commendation Medal (two), and several other personal and unit awards. He was also honored in 2014 with the Captain D. Jarvis Inspirational leadership award that recognizes a Coast Guard Officer that has made outstanding contributions to the high standards of professional competence and leadership in the Coast Guard; In 2022, he was the Coast Guard's recipient of the BEYA Stars and Stripes award.
CAPT Jones is a native of Norway, SC, and is married to NeKeshia of Anderson, SC; they have one adult son, Lawrence.