Rick Brennan

Richard Thomas Brennan, Jr. (August 15, 1968 – May 15, 2021) was a rear admiral in the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps where he served as the 31st director of the Office of Coast Survey, replacing Shepard Smith.

Early life and education He graduated from The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering.

Brennan completed a Master of Science degree in Ocean Engineering at the University of New Hampshire’s Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping.

While at UNH he developed the uncertainty component for the Tidal Constituent and Residual Interpolation model of hydrographic survey for Tidal Correction of Bathymetric Data.

Career

Early career Brennan was commissioned in the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps in January 1992. His first assignment was to the NOAA Ship Rude, a 90-foot hydrographic vessel. In August 1992, Brennan was involved in the Rude’s survey involving the investigation of the grounding of the Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) in Vineyard Sound. During the survey, Brennan identified the precise rocks where the QE2 grounded, recovering metal shards of the ship’s hull from the rock. He also served as chief of the OCS Hydrographic Surveys Division (HSD), in addition to 31st director of the Office of Coast Survey.

After Hurricane Irene closed the port of Norfolk, Virginia, Brennan coordinated with the NOAA and OCS to reopen the port, for which he was awarded the NOAA Corps Commendation Medal and the Department of Commerce Group Silver Medal.

Brennan was promoted to the rank of rear admiral (lower half) and the director of the Office of Coast Survey on April 20, 2021. He was the 31st director of the Office of Coast Survey, a position that started with Ferdinand Rudolph Hassler in 1807. His funeral was held on May 21, 2021, with military honors.

Awards and decorations

Department of Commerce Gold Medal with "O" deviceDepartment of Commerce Silver Medal with "O" deviceDepartment of Commerce Bronze Medal NOAA National Response Service Ribbon NOAA Unit Citation Award NOAA Corps Commendation Medal NOAA Corps Pacific Service Ribbon NOAA Corps Atlantic Service RibbonNOAA Corps Achievement MedalNOAA Corps Director's RibbonNOAA Corps Meritorious Service MedalSociety of American Military Engineers Karo Award NOAA Sea Service Deployment Ribbon