Dustin McCloud was the Starfleet admiral placed in commander of the Starfleet Operations by Starfleet Commander Admiral John Hayes in 2380. McCloud was later considered as one of the potential replacements for Hayes in 2380. McCloud was for an armed conflict with the So'ja then, and was the most fervent supporter of the Coalition War. (Star Trek: Pioneer: "The Teacher") In 2381, McCloud firmly supported the development of deflective hull plating, citing the outbreak of hostilities with the So'jan as a strong motivation. He was close friends with Vice President Kaenar Korban. ("From The Ashes")