In 2002, Angelina Hidalgo became only the second Hispanic American woman in the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to command an afloat unit. As a lieutenant junior grade, she was specifically named commanding officer of the coastal patrol boat USCGC Kingfisher (WPB-87322). This appointment was made just two years after Hidalgo graduated from the USCG Academy with a bachelor of science degree in government.
Another one of Hidalgo’s academic accomplishments involved earning her master of science degree in strategic intelligence from the Joint Military Intelligence College (now known as the National Intelligence University) in 2005. During the course of her USCG career to date, Hidalgo has achieved the distinction of becoming the second Hispanic American female intelligence officer in that uniformed service.
Along with serving as commander of Kingfisher, Hidalgo had a tour of duty on the medium endurance cutter USCGC Dauntless (WMEC-624) Dauntless as that vessel’s deck watch officer and maritime law enforcement boarding officer. Hidalgo’s wide range of other responsibilities have included serving as deputy branch chief of intelligence for USCG First District in Boston. Hidalgo’s duties in this assignment entailed oversight of the region’s intelligence program and more than 80 related field units, and she played a pivotal role in the USCG’s rapid response efforts in the wake of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. In a similarly vital assignment with the USCG Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach in California, Hidalgo was a search-and-rescue mission coordinator.
In addition, Hidalgo has been an intelligence analyst as the National Counterterrorism Center. In this capacity, she briefed senior policymakers on terrorist threats to the country’s transportation sector. Hidalgo has also served as a counselor to the U.S. secretary of homeland on high-priority issues such as maritime safety and the protection of the marine transportation system.
Hidalgo was the recipient of the 2011 Latina Style, Inc., Meritorious Service Award. In 2019, she was honored by the Hispanic National Achievement Award Corporation (HENAAC) for her professional accomplishments. Hidalgo’s other awards have included the Department of Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the Coast Guard Achievement Medal.
Photo Credit: U.S. Coast Guard
For more information on Angelina Hidalgo, please check out https://www.ansomil.org/wp-content/uploads/CAPT-Angelina-Hidalgo-USCG.pdf
Additional information on Hispanics in the U.S. Coast Guard is available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispanics_in_the_United_States_Coast_Guard
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