Meet Captain Barndt

Captain Luann Barndt stops in the 24/7 command center of the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan base, 2420 S. Lincoln Memorial Dr. The rooms are illuminated by the glow of computer monitors. Flat-screen televisions mounted on the walls keep the command center personnel abreast of current news and weather. Barndt, standing tall in her rich blue uniform, watches the lights on the radios and transmitters while she chats with a staff member.

Barndt, who assumed the duties of Sector Lake Michigan commander July 1, 2009, is the first female commander of Sector Lake Michigan. She said there are currently five women commanders among the USCG’s 35 sectors.

“We just are in the process of our assignment season, and I know of a few [women] that are going to be moving into command in the next year,” Barndt said. “We also have a woman commander at one of our training centers.”

She added that out of 40 admirals, four are women, with two who had just been selected. One is a former academy classmate of hers. 

Barndt wears many hats in her current position, including Captain of the Port of Lake Michigan (COTP). “If there was a danger, I would shut down a port, or direct a vessel to move,” Barndt said.

She’s also Federal Maritime Security Coordinator, which involves security risks assessment and mitigation. Also, she’s Officer in Charge of Marine Inspections, commanding her staff to go out to investigate incidents with vessels. This also involves checking mariners’ credentials and licensing, and taking administrative action if negligence is found during an investigation.

As Federal On-Scene Coordinator, she would be the person in charge if there were a spill in the area, and would work with the agency or organization responsible for the spill to make sure it’s cleaned up efficiently. Barndt is also Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator.

A Lifetime of Service

A native of Ambler, Pa., Barndt said she admired the stories her father told about when he was stationed in Europe as a member of the U.S. Air Force. While college was encouraged in her family, it wasn’t an easy accomplishment financially, Barndt said, and she began considering military service during her middle school years.

“I really appreciated the humanitarian service of the Coast Guard in addition to the military aspects,” Barndt said. She entered the USCG Academy just shy of her 18th birthday. “Looking back now, it was absolutely the right thing for me,” Barndt said.

Commander of Sector Lake Michigan is Barndt’s 13th assignment in the USCG. She said the years have brought fantastic memories and every assignment had great aspects, including a position as regimental officer in charge of military indoctrination in Cape May, N.J. She said it was rewarding to help develop future leaders of the USCG.

She was also stationed in Guam, and from there she was deployed to support Hurricane Katrina relief. She was in Baton Rouge, La. when Hurricane Rita hit.

“It was challenging because you’re away from the family, you’re in an area of such devastation, and the hours were just incredible…and the complexity of the task…just where do you start? And then keeping the momentum going…” Barndt said, shifting her gaze toward her office windows, which overlook Lake Michigan.

Asian Carp Response

The story hasn’t quite risen to hurricane coverage standards, but aquatic nuisance species such as Asian carp and the threat they pose to the Great Lakes have generated significant media attention in recent months. As COTP, Barndt has been active in the attempt to control the feared fish.

The USCG’s role in the invasive species issue is maintaining waterway navigability and mitigating risk, according to Barndt. The electric fish barrier at Romeoville, Ill., where the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal connects waters from the Mississippi River and Lake Michigan basins, is inherently risky, Barndt said, and some commercial vessels have experienced sparking between the tugs and the tows; hence the establishment of a safety zone.

“As Captain of Port, I opted not to allow vessels less than 20 feet to go through the canal because the indication we have from studies is that there was a 50 percent chance of death if somebody were to fall in the water,” Barndt said, “so for vessels like a jet ski or a kayak or something like that, I felt the risk was too great.”

Ballast water restrictions are also part of the safety zone. While scientists determined there was a low possibility Asian carp could be transmitted through ballast water, Barndt said they’re taking all precautions and working with industry organizations on a daily basis. She said barge operators voluntarily agreed not to take on or discharge ballast water near the zone, and she’s working to develop a ballast water working group to research viable ways to identify and test the water in certain barges.

“My concern, while that certainly is a perceived threat, is that that issue is becoming divisive at a time when it’s most critical that we come together to stop the threat,” Barndt said.

She said she had the opportunity to attend the meeting hosted by Illinois Senator Dick Durbin at the Shedd Aquarium Jan. 12.

“They said it well when they said that we need to coordinate and cooperate, not litigate,” Barndt said, adding that, “invasive species as a whole is a complex public policy issue. There’s different stakeholders [who] have different perspectives as to the nature of the threat, the potential solutions.”

Barndt encourages people to think critically about the issue and do research, “and try not to be too quick to jump on the bandwagon out of fear, and really just become informed of the issues and the solutions. That’s my greatest concern. I don’t want to see a knee-jerk reaction and pressure of the public to implement a solution that might be more costly than the actual threat or illness we’re trying to fight.”

At Home

When she’s not protecting the Lake Michigan coast, Captain Barndt resides in Mequon, and is married to a retired Coast Guard warrant officer. He’s a stay-at-home dad to the couple’s 13-year-old son. They also have an older son who is in his second year of college on an Army ROTC scholarship.

Barndt is also an avid reader, particularly on leadership and self-improvement topics. She emphasizes with her staff that leaders are readers, and often recommends books to officers.

She used to scuba dive in Guam’s 82-degree waters, but the frigid Wisconsin waters are a drastic contrast.

“It’s a privilege and an honor to serve here, in this area, and to serve with this crew, the Coast Guard, besides the fact that I’ve been in this organization all of my adult life,” Barndt said. “It’s an incredible team of professionals, and they deserve the best, and I try to give them the best.”

The Coast Guard

The U.S. Coast Guard is a branch of the armed services, along with the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines. It is also the only military service within the Department of Homeland Security. In addition to being a military branch, they also protect the maritime economy, the environment, and defend the nation’s borders, as well as save those who might be in trouble in the water. They have law enforcement authority and are part of the intelligence community. -SJ

Sector Lake Michigan Commander

Barndt’s predecessor was Captain Bruce Jones, who is now assigned to the Office of Strategic Analysis at the Coast Guard headquarters in Washington, D.C. Barndt is the first female commander of Sector Lake Michigan, one of 35 sectors in the USCG, and the largest by number of field units. The sector has over 700 military active, reserve, and civilian personnel; 1,200 auxiliary personnel; and 1,640 miles of coastline, not including the inland rivers the USCG is also responsible for. Sector Lake Michigan is included in the USCG Ninth District, which encompasses the five Great Lakes.

Lieutenant Kristie Salzmann, Sector Lake Michigan public affairs officer, said it’s “less and less unique” to have women commanders of both shore units and float units of the USCG. “It’s the only branch of service where females can do any job,” Salzmann said. -SJ