Leah Cole

CDR Cole currently serves as the United States Coast Guard’s National Security Fellow at Harvard University where she examines defense, emerging technologies, and strategy at the Belfer Center of Science and International Affairs and advancing public policy for national security at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

She holds the Order of the Sparrow, having deployed globally, leading humanitarian and lifesaving search and rescue operations, homeland defense missions, counter-drug & alien migration interdiction operations, and Illegal Unreported Undetected Fisheries law enforcement actions. Her years of sea-going operational assignments include Coast Guard Cutters GALLATIN, METOMPKIN, KODIAK ISLAND, TAMPA and BERTHOLF. She has been formally recognized for her operational excellence by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director, with the United States Interdiction Committee Award for record setting narcotics interdiction work. Under her leadership, her vessel was recognized by both the Surface Navy Association with the 2024 Hopley Yeaton Cutter Excellence Award and Society for Naval Engineers with the 2024 Rear Admiral R. S. Lucas Plaque.

CDR Cole’s shore and special assignments include Executive Assistant to Commander Atlantic Area, the Coast Guard’s senior operational commander in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Mediterranean. Military Fellow at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies where she was named the 2017 Alumnus of the Year for her historic security cooperation contributions, partnerships, and significant publications.  Chief, Response Operations Planning at Pacific Area, generating the services first 7th Fleet WESTPAC deployments and the creator of Operation BLUE PACIFIC, solidifying the Coast Guard’s vital role and impact across the Indo-Pacific. J35 Future Operations, Oceania Chief, Joint Inter-Agency Task Force at US Indo-Pacific Command, and Instructor at the Coast Guard’s Leadership Development Center where she earned professional certification as a Master Training Specialist.

CDR Cole joined the Coast Guard in 2000 as a cadet at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, where she earned her commission and Bachelor of Science in government-public policy. She holds dual Master’s degrees in Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies & Human Performance Technology from Florida State University. She completed Joint Professional Military Education at the U.S. Naval War College. She was selected as a Senior Executive Fellow at the College of William & Mary’s Whole of Government Center for Excellence, completing post-graduate work in international security studies and thesis in navigating great power competition. She is dedicated to public service innovation and holds a certificate in non-profit stewardship from the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy at Cornell University. She is a regularly published author and contributor, public speaker, and sits as the current mentorship chair at the Harvard Kennedy School Armed Forces Committee, fostering civ-mil development and seeding public-private partnerships and networks.

CDR Cole is a recipient of the prestigious Witherspoon inspirational leadership award, wears the permanent cutterman insignia and both the Defense and Coast Guard Meritorious Service Medals.