Douglas Margrave Fears is a retired United States Coast Guard rear admiral with extensive experience in national security, maritime operations, and interagency coordination. He most recently served as Director of Joint Interagency Task Force South, where he led multinational efforts to combat transnational organized crime and strengthen security cooperation across the Western Hemisphere. Fears also served as Assistant Commandant for Response Policy, overseeing Coast Guard-wide strategy for law enforcement, emergency response, and maritime security operations. Over the course of his Coast Guard career, he commanded multiple cutters, including the USCGC Diligence and the USCGC Hamilton, and held senior roles such as Chief of Staff to the Commander of the Atlantic Area, head of the Office of Law Enforcement, and liaison to the U.S. House of Representatives.

In addition to his military service, Fears held several senior positions on the National Security Council during the administration of President Donald Trump, including Special Assistant to the President, Director for Central America and the Caribbean, Senior Director for Resilience Policy, and ultimately Homeland Security Advisor. In these roles, he helped coordinate U.S. policy on regional security, disaster resilience, and homeland defense. He has also contributed to strategic policy development through fellowships at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Seminar XXI program, focusing on foreign policy, international relations, and national security.