U.S. Coast Guard divers from the Regional Dive Locker East engage with community members at Intrepid Pier 86 in Manhattan, New York, on July 3, 2026. The divers established an interactive dive tank to play games with and educate the public on the Coast Guard's diving operations during Sail250, a naval celebration of America's 250th. (U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer 2nd Class Gabriel Wisdom)
Rear Adm. Francis “Stash” Pelkowski is a veteran, merchant mariner, maritime industry business leader, licensed attorney and a professor at SUNY Maritime College. To say the 58-year-old father has accomplished a lot in life is a gross understatement. However, to hear him describe his early adult years leading to his enlistment in 1980, his present-day success and many achievements were far from predictable.
Thirty-eight years later,...
