COMMANDING OFFICER

Commanding Officer - CDR CDR John Caskey

Commander John Caskey assumed command of the Hi’ialakai in February of 2009. He was commissioned in the NOAA Corps in January, 1993, following graduation from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a Bachelor of Science degree (Cum Laude) in Marine Biology.

In his 16 years in the NOAA Corps, Commander Caskey has served aboard NOAA research vessels acquiring 7 years of sea-going experience. His three sea assignments which have taken him to the Atlantic/Pacific/Indian Oceans, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico as well as over 25 countries have included Junior Officer, NOAA Ship Malcolm Baldrige and two Executive Officer tours aboard NOAA Ship Ka’imimoana and NOAA Ship Hi’ialakai.

Ashore, Commander Caskey has held assignments as the Environmental Officer in Gloucester, MA, the Port Captain in San Diego, CA, as well as the Chief, Officer Assignment Branch and Chief, Officer Career Management Division in Silver Spring, MD.

Commander Caskey resides in Montgomery Village, Maryland with his wife, Lucille, and two children, Joshua and Allison.