Master Chief Aviation Maintenance Technician Keith D. Kranenburg
Command Master Chief
Master Chief Kranenburg was born in Willingboro, NJ to an Air Force family and moved throughout his childhood to several Air Force bases within the United States. He is a 1996 graduate of Lenape High School of Medford, NJ. Following high school graduation, he moved with his parents to Palmyra, VA and in October 1996 enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard via the Richmond, VA Recruiting Office.
December 1996, a graduate of Basic Training Company Alpha 150, then-Fireman Apprentice Kranenburg was assigned to the Coast Guard Cutter Mellon located in Seattle, WA. He was a student of Aviation Technical Training Center’s legacy Aviation Structural Mechanic (AM) A-school graduating June 1998, and volunteered for assignment to Air Station Kodiak, AK as a member of the HH-65 Alaskan Patrol division. January 2001 through July 2001, Master Chief Kranenburg circumnavigated the globe aboard Coast Guard Cutter Sherman as a member of its Aviation Detachment (AVDET) on a seven month over-the-horizon Arabian Gulf augmentation of the U.S. Naval Fifth Fleet. August 2001, he transferred to Air Station Savannah, Georgia and experienced his first overnight Flight Mechanic ready crew duty on the earth-shattering day September 11th. As a journeyman Aviation Maintenance Technician, Master Chief Kranenburg proved a vital member at Savannah earning his Quality Assurance authority along with Enlisted Flight Examiner designation. A newly minted First-Class Petty Officer summer 2005, he requested a second tour in Kodiak, AK where his role elevated to the senior AVDET member position as aircraft Plane Captain for numerous Bering Sea Patrols and Aviation Support Facility Cordova, AK Search and Rescue (SAR) response. Seeking a tour in Special Assignments, he went on to become the Recruiter in Charge of Recruiting Office Jackson, MS in 2008 and was awarded Region Eight Recruiting Office of the Year in 2010. Master Chief Kranenburg then returned to operational Coast Guard as a MH-65 Maintenance Chief at Air Station New Orleans, LA in 2012 and elevated mission execution success of District Eight during hurricane Isaac surge operations, 2013 Super Bowl interagency law enforcement, along with Rotary Wing Air Interception support for Electoral National Conventions. In 2016 he relocated to Air Station Miami, FL as a Chief assigned to the MH-65D division. Two years later in 2018, he advanced to the paygrade of Senior Chief and continued his tour as a HC-144 Enlisted Personnel Manager and Flight Pay Administrator. Spring 2020 during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Master Chief Kranenburg was reassigned to Aviation Logistics Center, NC as Engineering Services Division Enlisted Platform Manager. His current assignment as Command Master Chief of Air Station Atlantic City began June 2024.
Master Chief Kranenburg is a graduate of Senior Enlisted Leadership Course session 93, Chief Petty Officer’s Academy Class 240, completed Chiefs Call to Initiation in 2012, and a member of Coast Guard Chief Petty Officers Association having served as Vice City Chapter treasurer. He wears the Aircrew Wings insignia and earned the LT Robert A. Perchard outstanding aircrewmember award in 2005. His personal awards include: two Coast Guard Commendation Medals, three Coast Guard Achievement Medals, three Commandant’s Letter of Commendation Ribbons, and nine Good Conduct Medals in addition to various organization and unit level awards.