Captain Brandon Lechthaler '85
Outstanding Achievement in a Chosen Profession
Brandon Lechthaler grew up in Mechanicsburg at 442 S. York Street and graduated from Mechanicsburg Senior High School in 1985. He also attended Shippensburg University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1990. From there his journey took him to the Joint Military Intelligence College at Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C where his post-graduate studies were in Military Strategic Intelligence and is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Defense and Strategic Studies at the Naval War College. His activities throughout his career make him a role model for young people everywhere.
He began his career in 1986 enlisting in the United States Air Force and earned his commission in the United States Coast Guard (USCG) in 1998. Over the next few years he rose in the ranks, holding increasingly more important responsible positions. For example, from September 1998 to June 2000, he worked as a member of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Response Branch / Special Projects deploying to Beirut, Turkey and Croatia. In addition, from July 2001 to June 2003, Captain Lechthaler became the Coast Guard liaison to a US Army 2-star General that commanded the joint task force to support civil authorities in response to domestic Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and high yield explosive incidents. Because of his expertise in these areas, he was personally selected to support New York City, Boston and Chicago conducting multiple deployments in response to the September 11th, 2001 New York City terrorist attack. Captain Lechthaler was on the team that responded to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City and became a key member of a high level interagency federal, state and local effort that developed a coordinated multi-agency response. Then, from June 2003 to August 2006, he managed 14 multimission geographically separated units comprising 390 active duty and 155 reserve personnel. During this time they conducted more than 500 search and rescue cases that saved 85 lives. In August of 2006 to July of 2010 he served in leadership roles at the “Boat Forces and the Cutter Operations Branch” before becoming the Executive Officer of the Maritime Security Response Team. In July of 2013 he served as the Service Liaison between the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Fleet Forces Command. Then, in June of 2015, he became a Deputy Sector Commander, responsible for safely and efficiently planning, directing and leading all aspects of CG operations / logistics and personnel covering 4 states, 465 miles of coastline, 5 deep water ports and 1900 miles of waterways. As a result of outstanding work throughout his career, Captain Lechthaler was selected to command the Maritime Security Response Team on May 19th, 2017, located in Chesapeake, Virginia.
What is amazing about Brandon is the significant hurdles he overcame in life. As Carol Reighter and Sandra Snelbaker Rynard pointed out in their nomination of Brandon for the Hall of Fame, “his mother raised him and his two brothers as a single parent before she tragically died of a longstanding cancer shortly after Brandon graduated from Mechanicsburg…She did a tremendous job of raising her sons and would be so proud of what Brandon has accomplished in life.”
J. K. Randall, Chief, Operational Forces U.S. Coast Guard also spoke well of Captain Lechthaler in his letter of recommendation. “As a senior Coast Guard officer, Captain Lechthaler epitomizes the qualities sought in those selected for this honor. I have personally known Captain Lechthaler since 2004 and of the 38 Commanding Officers that I directly supervise, Captain Lechthaler clearly sets himself apart from the rest based on his superior performance, superb leadership, and personal qualities. Also, as the Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard’s elite maritime counter-terrorism unit, Captain Lechthaler leads, trains and prepares the personnel at his unit to deploy on a moment’s notice. On any given day, Captain Lechthaler has personnel deployed around the globe responding to conflict and assisting foreign nations with establishing and training similar maritime counter-terrorism teams.”
Captain Brandon Lechthaler currently lives in Virginia Beach and has a son who is currently a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point and a daughter who is a school teacher in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
He began his career in 1986 enlisting in the United States Air Force and earned his commission in the United States Coast Guard (USCG) in 1998. Over the next few years he rose in the ranks, holding increasingly more important responsible positions. For example, from September 1998 to June 2000, he worked as a member of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Response Branch / Special Projects deploying to Beirut, Turkey and Croatia. In addition, from July 2001 to June 2003, Captain Lechthaler became the Coast Guard liaison to a US Army 2-star General that commanded the joint task force to support civil authorities in response to domestic Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and high yield explosive incidents. Because of his expertise in these areas, he was personally selected to support New York City, Boston and Chicago conducting multiple deployments in response to the September 11th, 2001 New York City terrorist attack. Captain Lechthaler was on the team that responded to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City and became a key member of a high level interagency federal, state and local effort that developed a coordinated multi-agency response. Then, from June 2003 to August 2006, he managed 14 multimission geographically separated units comprising 390 active duty and 155 reserve personnel. During this time they conducted more than 500 search and rescue cases that saved 85 lives. In August of 2006 to July of 2010 he served in leadership roles at the “Boat Forces and the Cutter Operations Branch” before becoming the Executive Officer of the Maritime Security Response Team. In July of 2013 he served as the Service Liaison between the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Fleet Forces Command. Then, in June of 2015, he became a Deputy Sector Commander, responsible for safely and efficiently planning, directing and leading all aspects of CG operations / logistics and personnel covering 4 states, 465 miles of coastline, 5 deep water ports and 1900 miles of waterways. As a result of outstanding work throughout his career, Captain Lechthaler was selected to command the Maritime Security Response Team on May 19th, 2017, located in Chesapeake, Virginia.
What is amazing about Brandon is the significant hurdles he overcame in life. As Carol Reighter and Sandra Snelbaker Rynard pointed out in their nomination of Brandon for the Hall of Fame, “his mother raised him and his two brothers as a single parent before she tragically died of a longstanding cancer shortly after Brandon graduated from Mechanicsburg…She did a tremendous job of raising her sons and would be so proud of what Brandon has accomplished in life.”
J. K. Randall, Chief, Operational Forces U.S. Coast Guard also spoke well of Captain Lechthaler in his letter of recommendation. “As a senior Coast Guard officer, Captain Lechthaler epitomizes the qualities sought in those selected for this honor. I have personally known Captain Lechthaler since 2004 and of the 38 Commanding Officers that I directly supervise, Captain Lechthaler clearly sets himself apart from the rest based on his superior performance, superb leadership, and personal qualities. Also, as the Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard’s elite maritime counter-terrorism unit, Captain Lechthaler leads, trains and prepares the personnel at his unit to deploy on a moment’s notice. On any given day, Captain Lechthaler has personnel deployed around the globe responding to conflict and assisting foreign nations with establishing and training similar maritime counter-terrorism teams.”
Captain Brandon Lechthaler currently lives in Virginia Beach and has a son who is currently a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point and a daughter who is a school teacher in Fredericksburg, Virginia.