During the Fall 2005 he was recalled as the senior CG Liaison Officer in support of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita operations along the Gulf Coast. In 2006, he was recalled as the Deputy Director of Operations (DJ3) at U.S. Northern Command in Colorado Springs. His final billet was Deputy Commander, Mobilization and Reserve Affairs, for the Coast Guard Atlantic Area in Portsmouth, Virginia. Acton served as the Director of both the DHS Presidential Transition Team and the Coast Guard Presidential Transition Team.