Conversation with Steve Branham

Rear Adm. Steve Branham traveled his whole life, attending multiple high schools while his father was in the U.S. Coast Guard, and then during his own six tours of duty with the Coast Guard, totaling 12 years of sea service in the Pacific, Atlantic and Caribbean regions. Retired since 2010, Branham married Assistant to the Town Manager Susan Phillips and has finally put down roots, serving his community the way he served his country for 37 years.

Did you feel obligated to join the U.S. Coast Guard after your father retired as a captain in 1975 after spending his career serving his country?

My father never asked me to follow in his footsteps. I just felt it was my calling. When my dad retired in 1975, I was already in the academy. My dad’s personnel officer sent me my dad’s plaque from when he was the commanding officer of the Coast Guard air station in San Francisco that reads, "Follow in your father’s footsteps and you won’t go wrong." I keep it above my desk. It tells me that my dad meant something to those that worked under him and he was probably a great boss.

What was it like traveling from station to station growing up while your father served?

We moved five times before I graduated high school and I went to three different high schools. It was hard to make a name for myself on the basketball team. But the moving prepared me for my career and how to make friends.

Did you spend your entire career at sea?

No. I got paid full salary to get my Master's in business administration at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. They wanted a return on their investment so I was shipped to Washington, D.C. for three years and ran the U.S. Coast Guard's budget division.

What’s the most harrowing experience you ever had on a ship?

I had a man go overboard off of my ship once. One of the crew fell over, and we didn't realize it immediately. He was in the water for 10 hours in the deep Caribbean between South America and Cuba before we found him.

What was your biggest Coast Guard challenge?

I oversaw the task force that began using armed U.S. Coast Guard helicopters to stop drug smuggling from southern waters from 1999 to 2001. We had to convince Washington that armed helicopters would allow us to stop drug smuggling boats and intercept the drugs with our smaller boats. It took a lot of training. Over the course of five different patrols (a period of eight to 10 months), we were very successful in stopping smugglers. Before that came about the Coast Guard only had a mindset to save people. We are more known for search and rescue, but now we’re also seen as a form of law enforcement. 

Commissioner Lynn Larson asked you a couple a months ago to look into drawbridge openings on both ends of the Key and how those affect our traffic since they are operated by the Coast Guard. Have you reached any conclusions?

I'm still working on collecting data for both boat and car traffic as well as bridge opening activity and will report the data when I have it. But there should be a complete analysis and a multipronged solution to improving traffic around here. Bridges are just one of the issues. People have to remember that boaters have just as much privilege to use that bridge and get it open as the motorists have to drive on it. 

You're the chairman of a combined set of three frozen pension plans. Is it difficult to manage a fund that many town employees wanted to keep in place? 

It takes a lot of effort to ensure things are done properly. The primary goal is to protect the retirement fund for the employees. What we're doing is like changing the tire on a race car in a pit stop while the car is still moving. We're constantly monitoring numbers and valuations to make sure the fund continues to achieve the highest return on its investment. 

What's the story behind the green John Deere tractor that you drive in the Freedom Fest parade each year?

My uncle’s father in Chesapeake, Va. owned a small country garage, and I learned to work on cars and tractors as a teenager. I decided one day in 2006 I was going to buy one and bought a fully restored 1954 John Deere. I turn it over once a month to keep it lubricated. It hits Gulf of Mexico Drive once a year for a top speed of 12 mph for three-quarters of a mile to Bay Isles Road. I'll never sell it. It's street legal, and I ask Susan all the time if she wants to take the tractor to Publix. She always declines for some reason.

What advice would you give to area boaters this summer?

Take a boating safety course from the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Make sure your boat is in good repair and you always ensure you have all of the safety equipment required by law. When you do go somewhere, tell somebody and file a route plan. And please watch the weather.