Retired Coast Guard Admiral Riding 2,000+ Miles for Coast Guard Families

“For more than 40 years, I had the privilege of serving alongside extraordinary Coast Guard men and women,” Brown said. “This ride is about paying it forward to those currently serving—especially when they or their families face personal crisis or significant need.”

Brown’s ride comes amid renewed uncertainty around federal funding. During the 2019 partial government shutdown, approximately 55,000 Active Duty, Reserve, and civilian Coast Guard members went without pay for 35 days, the first time in recent history a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces served without compensation. Coast Guard civilian employees were again impacted during a subsequent funding lapse in 2025, with many going 43 days without pay.

“Financial disruption for Coast Guard families is becoming the norm, not the exception,” said Brooke Millard, CEO of CGMA and a retired Coast Guardsman. “Government shutdowns, deployments, economic volatility, and constant relocations create ongoing financial stress. When service members are worried about paying rent or fixing a car, that affects mission readiness.”

In 2025 alone, CGMA delivered more than $12 million in assistance to over 4,000 members of the Coast Guard community. More than $3 million went toward basic living expenses, rental assistance, and debt management. CGMA also provided $1.9 million to civilian employees during the 2025 funding lapse.

Brown departed Key West on Thursday and plans to complete the journey in three phases:

• Phase 1: Key West to Jacksonville Beach, Florida
• Phase 2: Jacksonville Beach to Washington, D.C.
• Phase 3: Washington, D.C. to Bar Harbor, Maine

Battling wind gusts of 25–30 mph during the opening leg, Brown said the ride is already testing his endurance. Even though the wind is dying down in Florida, Brown expects the most challenging parts of the ride are in front of him, including the hills of New England and congestion around New York.