Base Seattle Command
Commanding Officer
Captain Ryan Murphy currently serves as the Commanding Officer of U.S. Coast Guard Base Seattle. In this role he is responsible for providing a wide variety of mission support services in direct support of operations throughout the U.S. Coast Guard Northwest District.
Originally from Talent, Oregon, Captain Murphy graduated and received his commission from the United States Coast Guard Academy in 2001 where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. Upon graduation he reported to his first assignment on Coast Guard Cutter MUNRO, a 378’ High Endurance Cutter homeported in Alameda, California. His next assignment took him to Civil Engineering Unit Oakland, serving in the Design and Construction Branch providing infrastructure support to units throughout Districts Eleven and Thirteen. In 2008, Captain Murphy reported to the Integrated Support Command Honolulu as the Industrial Manager, providing civil and naval support across the U.S. Coast Guard Oceania District. Following his tour in Honolulu, in 2012 Captain Murphy reported to Civil Engineering Unit Miami as the Product Line Branch Chief responsible for strategic planning and lifecycle management of 3800 facility assets valued at over $3 billion. In 2016, Captain Murphy reported back to Civil Engineering Unit Oakland where he served as the units’ Executive Officer, managing the 85-member professional engineering and project execution team and overseeing the $32 million construction budget supporting Pacific Area. Following his tour at Civil Engineering Unit Oakland, in 2018 Captain Murphy was assigned as the Base Alameda Facilities Engineer where he managed the largest Base housing inventory and building square footage in the Coast Guard. In 2022, Captain Murphy was again assigned to Civil Engineering Unit Oakland, this time detached duty in Seattle, Washington, where he currently serves as the Program Manager for both the Coast Guard’s Safe Homes Initiative and the Base Seattle Cutter Homeporting & Facility Modernization.
Captain Murphy attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for post graduate studies in 2004 where he earned a Master of Science in Civil Engineering. He also earned a Master of Business Administration from American Military University in 2008. Captain Murphy is a licensed Professional Engineer, Project Management Professional, and Certified Energy Manager.
Executive Officer
Commander Koval assumed her role as the Executive Officer of Base Seattle in June 2025. She is responsible for providing a wide array of mission support services in direct support of operations throughout the Pacific Northwest. Born and raised in Mooresville, Indiana, CDR Koval is a 2008 graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in Mechanical Engineering. Continuing her studies in 2013, she earned a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University. In 2020, she attended a nine-month intensive language course in French at the Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute.
In her first assignment, CDR Koval served as the Damage Control Assistant, Training Officer, and Damage Control, Auxiliary, and Electrical division officer onboard the USCGC RELIANCE (WMEC 615), homeported in Portsmouth, NH. CDR Koval then served as a Maintenance Augmentation Team Supervisor and Port Engineer supporting two 87’ coastal patrol boats charged with protecting Navy high-value assets as part of the Maritime Force Protection Unit at Naval Base Kitsap in Bangor, Washington. In this role she served as a detached duty supervisor for the Naval Engineering Support Unit in Seattle and augmented the Patrol Boat Product Line as a Port Engineer for cutter availabilities. Following her graduate studies, CDR Koval served as the Engineer Officer onboard the USCGC VENTUROUS (WMEC 625) from May 2015 – May 2018. She sailed throughout the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic, and Pacific oceans conducting counter drug, migrant interdiction, and living marine resources patrols.
Subsequently CDR Koval served as the Vice Commandant’s Aide at USCG Headquarters in Washington, DC from June 2018 – August 2020. In this role she was responsible for logistical planning and execution of all domestic and international strategic engagements for the Vice Service Chief and provided him with round the clock support for all logistics, force protection, travel, and correspondence. From June 2021 – June 2024,she served as an International Port Security Liaison Officer at U.S. Coast Guard Activities Europe in the Netherlands. Her responsibilities included assessing anti-terrorism measures implemented at foreign ports in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East by reviewing their security practices, increasing international awareness of maritime security, and championing best practices to improve maritime governance. Her portfolio included the countries of Djibouti, Ghana, Israel, Monaco, Pakistan, Syria, and Tanzania.
Prior to serving in her current position, CDR Koval served as Base Seattle’s Naval Engineering Department Head providing depot maintenance and repair support to the Coast Guard’s ice-breaking fleet and regional cutters as well as providing surge staffing for Coast Guard-wide cutter support.
Command Master Chief
Master Chief Boatswain's Mate Jesse Duff enlisted in the United States Coast Guard in September of 2000 out of Guernsey County, Ohio. He is married to Kala and has 2 daughters, Kaliana and Kiralyn.
As Command Master Chief for BASE Seattle, he advises the Commanding Officer on all issues, policies, and initiatives pertaining to mission support services for Coast Guard operations, members and families throughout the BASE’s Pacific Northwest area of responsibility. He assumed the duties of Command Senior Enlisted Leader for BASE Seattle in June of 2022 after serving as Command Master Chief for Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound in Connecticut.
Upon graduation from Training Center Cape May, NJ, he reported to Lifeboat Station Cape Disappointment in Ilwaco, WA. He advanced to Boatswain's Mate First Class here and attained Coxswain certifications on the 23'UTL, 26'RHIB, 25'RBS, 47'MLB, and 52'SPC-HWX.
His other assignments include: Lifeboat Station Noyo River in Fort Bragg, CA; Deck Watch Officer and Pursuit Coxswain onboard USCGC SHERMAN out of Alameda, CA; Operations Petty Officer and Executive Petty Officer onboard USCGC TERN; Executive Petty Officer at Station Channel Islands Harbor, at the time the Coast Guard’s only station with designations as both Heavy Weather and Pursuit; and School Chief of the Coast Guard’s Non-Compliant Vessel Pursuit School located at the Maritime Law Enforcement Academy in Charleston, SC.
He is a proud graduate of Command Afloat and Boat Forces Command Cadre Ashore courses, as well as the Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Academy, Air Force Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, and the Coast Guard Senior Enlisted Leadership Course.
Master Chief Duff’s awards include Coast Guard Commendation Medals, Coast Guard Achievement Medals, a Commandant’s Letter of Commendation Ribbon, and a Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, as well as various other personal, team, and unit awards.