Ronald James Rábago[1] is a retired United States Coast Guard rear admiral who in 2006 became the first person of Hispanic American descent to be promoted to flag rank in the United States Coast Guard.

Rábago was born in Germany and entered the United States Coast Guard Academy upon his graduation from high school in Laredo, Texas.

In 1978, he graduated from the academy, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in ocean engineering and was commissioned as an ensign.

As the Coast Guard's chief engineer, he was responsible for all naval, civil, aeronautical, and industrial engineering, logistics, and environmental and energy management programs for the Coast Guard's $22 billion capital plant, which includes 23,000 facilities, 250 ships, 1,800 boats, and 200 aircraft.

In 1995, he was named the Coast Guard's "Engineer of the Year" and in 1996, he attended the Naval War College, where he earned a third master's degree in national security and strategic studies.