Commander Cole, a permanent cutterman, is executive officer of the USCGC Bertholf (WMSL-750). She is the 2023 recipient of the John G. Witherspoon Award for inspirational leadership.

Articles by Leah Cole

Friends, Firsts, and the Future at RimPac 2018

By Lieutenant Commander Leah Cole, US Coast Guard Military Fellow
July 2018
Started in 1971, RimPac 2018—currently underway in Hawaii through 2 August—marks the 26th exercise in the series. It is the world's largest international maritime exercise, with this year’s event involving ...
U.S. Coast Guard (Monica Leftwich)

Caught Off Guard

By Vice Admiral William Lee, U.S. Coast Guard, Lieutenant Commander Leah Cole, U.S. Coast Guard, and Joe DiRenzo III
October 2014
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was, by definition, a “strategic surprise,” and in 2012, Hurricane Sandy was a “predictable failure.” These types of events provide an opportunity for leaders and their ...