About Us

 

Mr. Ruckstuhl has been a consultant for Harkcon Inc. since 2010, conducting analyses, leading project teams, and managing programs and accounts.  He has supported agencies within the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Energy.  He led a significant series of high-profile human performance analyses for the Federal Bureau of Investigations, documenting hiring standards based on current work requirements for several jobs including special agent, police, evidence response team members, and forensic laboratory scientists.  He currently coordinates business related to Harkcon Academy and the development of the FIRST-15(TM) incident response system, managing the delivery of consulting, training, and professional development services.

 

Mr. Ruckstuhl served in the U.S. Coast Guard for 25 years, in operational positions both afloat and ashore.  His afloat assignments included one command where he led several law enforcement and migrant interdiction operations and played a major role in the Coast Guard's response to Hurricane GEORGES in the Florida Keys.   As executive officer, he was responsible for preparations and conduct of a non-routine 6-month overseas deployment to the Middle East with the BOXER Expeditionary Strike Group in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM.  During his afloat tours, he served in every position in the training team organization, where he led the development, conduct, coordination, and evaluation of shipboard training and realistic team/unit exercises.

 

His ashore assignments included staff positions in Headquarters where he contributed to the massive federal response to the terrorist attacks in September 2001.  He conducted several high-visibility efforts including the development of performance and training support programs for marine safety inspectors and Maritime Safety & Security Teams.  He also led the Performance and Training Team in the Office of Human Systems Integration for Acquisitions, determining training requirements for 22 major acquisition programs.  He served as the senior Training Officer at the Coast Guard's Recruit Training Center, where he supervised the 130-person staff of instructors, company commanders, and administrative staffs conducting all training analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation.

 

He served in the Operations Department of the Group/Captain of the Port New York, where he coordinated USCG operations in and around NY harbor with NYC Police, Fire and EMS as well as the NY/NJ Port Authority, including joint ICS training and exercises.  He contributed to federal efforts to plan and conduct annual ice-breaking and contingency operations, numerous presidential visits to Manhattan, and the gathering of world leaders for the Haiti Summit on Governor's Island. He participated in several, multi-agency ICS responses of national significance and managed managed initial actions of the Coast Guard for multiple commercial aircraft accidents at LaGuardia Airport, 2 major winter storms, and the intentional grounding of the GOLDEN VENTURE on Long Island.

 

Mr. Ruckstuhl is a 1989 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy and he earned a master's degree in Instructional Systems from Florida State University.