COMMAND
Commanding Officer
Captain Michael Lachowicz
Captain Michael Lachowicz proudly serves as the 22nd Commanding Officer of U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod. He is responsible for all aviation support to Coast Guard missions across the First Coast Guard District, an area of operations that spans the U.S.-Canadian border to New Jersey and 1,300 miles offshore. The oldest continuously operating aviation unit in the Coast Guard, Air Station Cape Cod’s history dates back to the establishment of an air station on Ten Pound Island, Gloucester, MA in 1925. Air Station Cape Cod was commissioned in its current location on August 29, 1970.
A career aviator, his previous assignments include serving as the Director of the newly formed Office of Program Analysis and Evaluation at Coast Guard Headquarters. Designated as the Coast Guard’s Chief Risk Officer, Performance Improvement Officer, and Statistical Official, he was the Service’s representative to the White House, Congress, Interagency, and the private sector. Through these roles, he led long term planning, budget/resource decisions, program management, operational performance, and enterprise risk management across the Service’s $14B budget and entire workforce.
Captain Lachowicz is a 1999 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy and commenced his career as the Operations Officer of USCGC SWEETGUM, providing multi-mission cutter operations across the Atlantic and Caribbean basins. Following his afloat tour, he proceeded to NAS Pensacola earning his “wings of gold” in February 2003.
He commenced his aviation career flying HU-25 Falcons out of Miami, FL, the Coast Guard’s busiest Air Station at that time. From Miami, he was selected for the Aeronautical Engineering Program and was officially designated a Coast Guard Aeronautical Engineer in 2007. Continuing his aviation and engineering career, he served as the Assistant Aeronautical Engineer at Air Station Cape Cod, MA also fulfilling duties as an Instructor Pilot and Flight Examiner in the HU-25 for the next four years.
In 2011, he reported to the Office of Budget and Programs (CG-82), where he provided analyses and recommendations for policy, resource, and legislative change proposals for the Service’s afloat, aviation, C5IT, and intelligence enterprise. In this capacity, he was the Coast Guard’s representative to DHS, the White House, and Congress. He also served as the FY2014 Budget Coordinator, responsible for spearheading enterprise-wide efforts to create, support and defend the Service’s $10B+ budget submission. Following his CG-82 tour, he reported to the White House to serve in the National Security Division at the Office of Management and Budget. While there, he was responsible for the review and oversight of strategic planning, performance, programs, and public reporting for the Veteran Affairs (VA), aligning agency policies to Presidential priorities. Here, CAPT Lachowicz championed the largest reorganization effort in the VA’s history from the “My VA” initiative.
In 2015, he reported to Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, FL as the Aeronautical Engineering Officer of the Coast Guard’s largest air station supporting over 365 aircrew, 16 aircraft, and year-round OCONUS deployment sites. Here, he transitioned to flying the C-130H and amassed over 4000 total flight hours in his career prior to his selection in 2018 to complete a Senior Executive Fellowship at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC.
Following his senior fellowship, he served as the Resource Management Chief at Coast Guard Atlantic Area, where he was responsible for financial operations, reporting, and accountability for Coast Guard Operational Forces from the Rocky Mountains to the Arabian Gulf. Captain Lachowicz holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. Further, he was awarded Executive Education Certificates in Public Leadership and Policy Strategy from the Brookings Institution/Washington University of St. Louis.
Captain Lachowicz is married to the former Wendy Bateman from Ashburn, VA, and has two children: Mikayla and Christian.
Executive Officer
CDR Jake S. London
Commander Jake London assumed the duties of Air Station Cape Cod executive officer in June 2023, following one year as the unit's aeronautical engineer.
CDR London hails from Annapolis, MD and earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the Coast Guard Academy in 2006. He reported directly to Naval flight training followed by Air Station Miami, where he was an HU-25A/C/D and HC-144A aircraft commander. During this tour he flew missions throughout the Caribbean basin and completed Aeronautical Engineer training, becoming an official red rag holder in 2013.
He then transferred to the Aviation Training Center in Mobile, AL and assumed the duties of the HC-144A platform engineer. During this tour he oversaw the operational test and evaluation of the first HC-144B, qualified as a flight instructor and examiner, and completed factory test flights and transatlantic delivery for one of the last HC-144 manufactured in Seville, Spain. In 2016 he left Mobile to attend the Naval Postgraduate school in Monterey, CA where he earned an MBA and completed advanced DHS and DoD program manager certifications.
After postgraduate school he reported to Headquarters CG-41 in Washington, DC where he was system manager for the Coast Guard's C-130J and C-37 fleets. He qualified in the C-130J and deployed in support of JIATF South and International Ice Patrol missions. Alongside partners from CG-711 and CG-931 he led Air Station Kodiak's transition from C-130H to C-130J and bootstrapped a formal acquisition program to purchase and sustain new C-37B (G550) command and control aircraft.
In July 2020, he left headquarters for Aguadilla, Puerto Rico where he took over as the aeronautical engineer at Air Station Borinquen. He oversaw comprehensive facility repairs and qualified in the MH-65D and MH-60T as the unit transitioned aircraft. In July of 2022, he left the tropical waters of Puerto Rico, requalified in the HC-144, and reported to Air Station Cape Cod.
Commander London earned various personal and team awards throughout his career. He is a senior program manager and holds an FAA Airline Transport Pilot license with multiple type ratings and instructor certificates.
Throughout his entire career, he's been unconditionally supported by his better half, Dr. Julie (Flickinger) London of Annapolis, MD.
Master Chief Ronald Freitas
Command Master Chief
Aviation Maintenance Technician Master Chief Freitas assumed the duties of Air Station Cape Cod Leading Chief on July 7th 2021. As the Senior Enlisted Leader of the unit, he is responsible for leading the Chiefs Mess and hangar deck, a mentor to the Wardroom, a shepherd for all personnel, and serves as the CO’s right-hand in ensuring the well-being of the unit.
His previous senior enlisted assignments include serving as the Aviation Engineering department, he oversaw all aspects of readiness for 115 aviators and served as the EO’s right-hand in ensuring the well-being of the aviation department.
Master Chief Freitas also served as the Command Master Chief at Air Station San Francisco. There he served as the Senior Enlisted Advisor for 170+ members, leading the Chiefs Mess and hangar deck during the initial stand up of Forward Operating Base Mugu, now Air Station Ventura. Prior to Command Master Chief of Air Station San Francisco, he served as the Leading Chief Petty Officer for Air Station /Sector Field Officer Port Angeles.
Master Chief Freitas was a career MH-65 Flight Mechanic, Instructor, and Enlisted Flight Examining Board Chair with over 1,100 flight hours during a span of over 20 years on the A, B, C, & D models. His prior operational assignments include Air Station Borinquen, Air Station Kodiak ALPAT, Air Station Port Angeles (2), and CGC MORGENTHAU.
Master Chief Freitas earned his Associate of Arts degree from the University of Phoenix. Master Chief graduated from Aviation Structural Mechanic School in 1998, the last Aviation Structural Mechanic class, and attended Chief Petty Officer Academy in October 2010. He has completed Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) and various other aviation leadership and technical certifications.
Master Chief’s personal awards include Enlisted Person of the year for Air Station Borinquen, Commendation Medal, three CG Achievement Medals, Humanitarian Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, eight CG Good Conduct Medals, and numerous other personal and unit awards.
Master Chief Freitas is diehard 49er, bleeds red and gold, and enjoys boxing and cooking. He has been married to Cathy Freitas for 26 years and they have three children: Tevanui (23), Tiareiti (21) and Hinatea (11).