Our Mission
To increase awareness of law enforcement officers, other first responders and military service members who died in the line of duty as well as raise funds for related charities and surviving family members
About Us
Operation Deep Blue is an annual long-distance sea kayak expedition conducted to increase awareness of law enforcement officers, other first responders and military service members who died in the line of duty as well as raise funds for related charities and surviving family members.
Over an eight day period, the Operation Deep Blue team paddles more than 225 miles from Fort Mott State Park in Pennsville, NJ to Washington, DC. In addition to honoring all officers, first responders and military service members who died in the line of duty, each Operation Deep Blue team member selects an individual hero, who made the ultimate sacrifice, to honor throughout the expedition. In preparation for the expedition, the team trains year-round to include paddling throughout the winter in sub-freezing temperatures. During the expedition, the team’s skills, physical endurance, mental toughness and commitment to honoring our fallen heroes are tested as they paddle as many as 10 hours each day in a variety of challenging and rapidly changing conditions.
The 2020 Operation Deep Blue expedition is scheduled for September 12th - 19th. The team is comprised of active, retired and former federal law enforcement agents, intelligence community professionals and military service members as well as state, county and local law enforcement executives and officers from various police departments and agencies. The Operation Deep Blue Board of Directors and team members serve in a 100% volunteer capacity, receiving zero compensation, and invest hundreds of hours during the year in preparing for and participating in the expedition.
2020 Honorees
2019 Honorees
Board of Directors
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Expeditions & Events
James Roth
Board Member
James Roth retired as an Intelligence Community executive with over 27 years of Aviation, Weapon and Space Systems acquisition experience. In addition to having served as a contractor for the Department of the Navy, James was hired by the Institute for Defense Analysis, a Federally Funded Research and Development Center, in support of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. James was recruited by the Department of the Navy for civilian service and later by the Central Intelligence Agency to support the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), ultimately having served as the Deputy Director of the NRO’S Cost and Acquisition Assessment Group and later as Acting Director, responsible for conducting Independent Life Cycle Cost Estimates and overseeing Earned Value Management for all major NRO programs. James later served as the Executive Secretariat for the Joint Space Cost Council, a unique National Security Space, Government and Industry forum that collectively worked to enhance state-of-the-art Space Systems cost estimating.
John Mandrafina
Board Member
Biography To Be Added
Expeditions & Events
2019 Expedition
Training Photos
Sponsors
Contact Us
Donate
Please join Operation Deep Blue in honoring our law enforcement officers, other first responders and military service members who made the ultimate sacrifice by making a donation. Your contribution will allow us to continue to ensure our fallen heroes are never forgotten and provide relief to their surviving family members.
Operation Deep Blue is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization registered in the United States under Employer Identification Number (EIN) 84-3140657.
To donate electronically, please click below:
To donate by check:
Please make payable to Operation Deep Blue Corp.
and mail to:
Operation Deep Blue Corp.
P.O. Box 783
Ramsey, NJ 07446-0783
