Edge Rewrite
everything Source code View original
// HTMLRewriter · presentation

This page was redesigned at the edge.

Cloudflare fetched the original article and streamed it through HTMLRewriter to apply an entirely new visual system without rebuilding the source page.

// request.cf · coarse context

A page that knows where it met you.

Only coarse request metadata is shown. This demo does not display or persist visitor IP addresses.

Country
US
Cloudflare location
CMH
Connection
HTTP/2
Language
Not provided

Ray ID: a27e7f8aaa00c20a

Jump to content

// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho's Vivien Crea? A crea-tive person.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vivien Crea
Born1952 (age 73–74)
Fort Belvoir, Virginia
AllegianceUnited States United States
Branch
 United States Coast Guard
Service years
1973–2009
Rank
Vice admiral
CommandsCoast Guard Atlantic Area
First Coast Guard District
Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater
Coast Guard Air Station Detroit
Conflicts
Cold War
Global war on terrorism
AwardsHomeland Security Distinguished Service Medal
Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit (4)

Vivien Suzanne Crea[1] (born 1952)[2] was the 25th Vice Commandant of the United States Coast Guard under Admiral Thad W. Allen. Vice Commandant is the second highest position in the Coast Guard, and she was the first woman to hold it. She is the former Commander of the Coast Guard Atlantic Area, and was confirmed by the Senate to her historic post in June 2006. Crea retired on 7 August 2009, and was replaced by VADM David Pekoske.[3]

She previously became the first female in the U.S. Armed Forces to serve as a military aide to a President in 1984.[4][5] Crea later became the first woman to command an air station[5] when she took over Air Station Detroit in 1992. In 2000 she became the first woman to attain flag rank in the United States Coast Guard.[6] In 2006 Crea became the first female Vice Commandant of the United States Coast Guard[5] and the Coast Guard's first female vice admiral.[7] She later became the first woman to be recognized as the USCG Ancient Albatross in 2008.[4][5] In 2010, she became the first Coast Guard aviator to be inducted into the Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame.[8][5]

Background and education

[edit]

Born to a military family at Fort Belvoir, Virgina, she grew up on military bases including Germany and graduated from Seoul American High School in 1968.[3] She earned a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Texas at Austin in 1972.[3] Crea earned a master's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,[9] as well as one from Central Michigan University.

Career

[edit]

After seeking to join the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency in 1972,[3] Crea was commissioned an Ensign in the Coast Guard Reserve upon graduation from Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Reserve Training Center, Yorktown, Virginia in December 1973.[5]

She was in the first group of women to be admitted to flight school at Pensacola, earning her wings in April 1977.[3] She then spent the next seven years flying C-130 Hercules transports at Air Station Barber's Point (Hawaii), Air Station Elizabeth City (North Carolina) and Air Station Borinquen (Puerto Rico).

As a Lieutenant Commander, she became the first woman from any service, as well as the first service member from the US Coast Guard to serve as the Presidential Military Aide, where she carried the nuclear football for President Ronald Reagan from 1984-1987.[10][5][11]

Rear Admiral Crea previously served as Commander, First Coast Guard District in 2002,[3] overseeing all Coast Guard operations in the Northeastern United States, from the Maine-Canada border to Northern New Jersey. Prior to that she served as Director of Information and Technology of the Coast Guard as chief information officer and oversaw the Coast Guard's Research and Development program.

As a Vice Admiral, Crea assumed command of Coast Guard Atlantic Area on 16 July 2004.[3] This post is the operational commander for all Coast Guard activities in an area of responsibility spanning five Coast Guard Districts, over 14,000,000 square miles (36,000,000 km2) covering the Eastern and Midwestern United States from the Rocky Mountains to Maine and Mexico, out across the Atlantic and through the Caribbean Sea, involving over 33,000 military and civilian employees, and 30,000 auxiliarists. She served concurrently as Commander, Coast Guard Defense Force East.

Earlier assignments include Chief, Office of Programs in Coast Guard Headquarters, Commanding Officer of Air Station Clearwater, Executive Assistant to the Commandant of the Coast Guard; Commanding Officer, Air Station Detroit; Operations Officer, Air Station Borinquen, Puerto Rico; Coast Guard Aide to President Reagan; and many other operational assignments. As a Coast Guard aviator, Vice Admiral Crea has flown the C-130 Hercules turboprop, HH-65 Dolphin helicopter, and Gulfstream II jet.

Military awards

[edit]
Silver block letter O
Gold star
 
Coast Guard Aviator Badge
Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal
Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal[12] Defense Superior Service Medal[12] Legion of Merit w/ 3 award stars[12]
Meritorious Service Medal Coast Guard Commendation Medal w/Operational Distinguishing Device Coast Guard Achievement Medal w/ 1 award star
Commandant's Letter of Commendation Ribbon w/ 3 award stars Secretary of Transportation Outstanding Unit Award Coast Guard Unit Commendation w/ 2 award stars
Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation w/ 3 award stars Meritorious Team Commendation Coast Guard Bicentennial Unit Commendation
National Defense Service Medal w/ 2 service stars Humanitarian Service Medal w/ 2 service stars Transportation 9-11 Ribbon
Special Operations Service Ribbon w/ 2 service stars Expert Rifle Medal Expert Pistol Medal
Presidential Service Badge[13] Commandant Staff Badge

During Crea's tenure as Vice Commandant, she held the title of Ancient Albatross, the longest serving aviator in the Coast Guard.

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from Vivien Crea Biography (PDF). United States government.

  1. ↑ "ME1714 (1-12), Vivien Crea". Michael Evans Portrait Project. December 17, 1984.
  2. ↑ Stewart, William (2014-11-26). Admirals of the World. McFarland. ISBN 9780786482887.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "The Long Blue Line: Vivien Crea—aviator, leader and trailblazer for women in the military". United States Coast Guard. Archived from the original on 2026-05-11. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  4. 1 2 Thiesen, William H. "Vivien Crea—aviator, leader and trailblazer for women in the military". history.uscg.mil.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Women in Aviation History: VADM Vivien Crea". Literary Aviatrix. 2025-12-23. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  6. ↑ Connie Braesch, Guardian of the Week – RDML Sandra Stosz, Coast Guard Compass, 2009 December 4 (accessed 2010 September 11). See also Sandra L. Stosz.
  7. ↑ "First female U.S. Coast Guard vice admiral to step down – Professional Mariner". 5 August 2009.
  8. ↑ "VADM Crea inducted into Women in Aviation Pioneer Hall of Fame « Coast Guard Compass". coastguard.dodlive.mil. Archived from the original on 2011-08-08.
  9. ↑ "Vice Admiral Vivien S. Crea, U.S. Coast Guard (Ret)" (PDF). ndu.edu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-09-16. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
  10. ↑ "Riley Officer Candidate School History" (PDF). Retrieved January 8, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Coast Guard officer gives up her wings for capital". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  12. 1 2 3 "Vivien Crea". Hall of Valor: Medal of Honor, Silver Star, U.S. Military Awards. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  13. ↑ "Guardian of the Week – VADM Crea « Coast Guard Compass". Archived from the original on 2011-09-01.
[edit]

Further reading

[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vivien_Crea&oldid=1367289204"